Mr. Abe

I know that I should be careful when I speak or write English, making sure to avoid any misunderstanding due to my limited English ability. Especially, when I talk about politics, I need to be extremely mindful of what I am going to say, because the views on touchy issues easily offend other people and your ideas about political matters would be critical factor through which people understand what kind of person you are, even though it is not crucial. So here I am talking about politics, I should be very aware of that.

As for our prime minister, Mr. Abe, he is, I would say respectfully, a fucking arsehole. I don’t know much about English words, but I would tend to say politely, he is conceited, pompous, self-righteous, suburban, small-minded, chauvinistic, curtain-twitching snob. All the things he has done so far as prime minister are crock of shit.

Whenever he opens his mouth, he talks about the beautiful country. To make Japan a beautiful country is his watchword. Although I have never TOUCHED it, he published the book, “Toward a beautiful country” last year, which immediately became the best-seller. But how could you make your country beautiful by whitewashing your own history?

The other day, Minister of Education has publicized their screening results for new textbooks, which will be put on use from next April at junior and senior high schools. The most contentious point is that screeners virtually ordered the authors of history textbooks to delete all the phrases that said that the Imperial Japanese Army forced residents of Okinawa to commit mass-suicide during the World WarⅡ.

It is a historical fact that during the war about 200,000 people, including 12,500 U.S soldiers, died in Okinawa, which constituted almost one-quarter of the population. This is widely considered as the result of Army’s strategy that Okinawa needed to be sacrificed to delay American invasion into Japanese mainland. It is also a historical fact that the Army indoctrinated their subjects not to fall into enemy’s hands, rather to choose the death when the time comes in order to avoid any humiliation. “Never be subject to humiliation as the captives” was our cardinal slogan at that time. In some cases, they handed out hand grenades to local residents for final moment, and in other cases, they coerced residents into small caves and threw grenades into them. At lease, that’s what I learned in school.

Here is an example for their trick.

・ (original) “Japanese forces made residents commit mass suicide and kill one another using hand grenades that the Japanese forces has distributed.”

・ (after screening) “Using hand grenades that Japanese forces had distributed, mass suicide and the killing of one another took place”.

・ (original) “There were many incidents in which prefectural residents were forced to commit mass suicide and infants were killed by Japanese forces because they were considered an impediment to military combat and …(prefectural residents) were killed because they were suspected (by Japanese forced) of being collaborators.”

・ (after screening) “There were many incidents in which prefectural residents were driven to mass suicide because they were considered an impediment to military combat and…infants were killed by Japanese forces and (prefectural residents) were killed on suspicion (by Japanese forces) of being collaborators.”


When students read this sentence in their textbook, they would wonder why Japanese forces had distributed hand grenades. So how would you answer to that question?

According to The Japan Times, screeners assessed the textbooks from the viewpoint of whether specific Japanese army units issued concrete orders for mass suicide. Oh! Give me a break! Who has a power to hide or burn or conceal or whatever such documents? If there is no concrete evidence, would you ignore voices of survivors or brave ex-soldiers who stepped forward to depict what they had done or what they were ordered?

By taking the narrowest approach to contentious issues and trying to extenuating or even sugarcoating our unfavorable history, our current government is taking the exactly same path regarding Okinawa as Sax-slavery issues. While they claim that there is no evidence “in a narrow sense” that the Imperial Japanese Army coerced women in other countries into sax-slaves, they announced their sincere sorry for the victimized women. How could you be trusted through this insincere way?

Governing a country is not something like domestic chore, I think. You can’t clean up and make it beautiful by whitewashing your history, nor get any trust from your neighbours. As long as Mr. Abe couldn’t get that point, my vocabulary will be piling up to the ceiling, only certain kind of negative words though.

"We are very regretful..."

Today, I got another letter from the company which I applied for job.
“We are very regretful to notify you of…”. Five sec garbage bin.

I used to work for personnel department of School Board, being responsible for recruitment. So I know that sometimes decision of who is hired and who failed is quite arbitrary. Still, it is very disappointing to be declined by somebody, regardless by lady whom you asked out or company that you applied. It is as if I am said that there is no room for someone like me in highly competitive zero-sum world. Today is not a good day.

"Garp"

“In this dirty-minded world, she thought, you are either somebody’s wife or somebody’s whore----------or fast on your way to becoming one or the other. If you don’t fit either category, then everyone tries to make you think there is something wrong with you. But, she thought, there is nothing wrong with me.”


Such a brilliant manifestation!
Strong, powerful, and compelling protestation, isn’t it?. Whether you agree or not, I think this sentence has such convincing power that people can easily understand what others are thinking, even though that other is living in imaginary world.
With these mere three or four sentences, John Irving completely defines exact character of Jenny Fields, a mother of a protagonist of “The World According to Garp”.

Yes, I started reading “Garp” again.
If imagination is something which gauges novelist’s talent, John Irving is nothing less than genius. All of his works are full of eccentric stories, but this one, “Garp” is extraordinary by far. Have you ever wondered how far human-being can think, or where our limitation of thought is? You would be surprised to know our sphere of imagination is much furtherer that you would guess, it is going to in outrageous direction though.

about John Irving...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Irving

Tokyo Gubernatorial election has started.

Now, Tokyo Gubernatorial election has begun.
During campaign, wooden panels of candidate’s pictures are put up on the streets, and boisterous cars announcing their recorded names are driving from town to town.

It is the election which chooses the Governor of Capital in our country.
Tokyo’s size as a city is colossal, with more than 12 million populations and more than 13 trillion budget size. Stuffs working for Tokyo Metropolitan Government, including Police officer, firefighter, school teachers, number about 170,000. Anybody who be elected will almost possess as much influential power and as much strong authority as presidents of medium size of sovereign states.
It quite matters who will be elected for not only residents of Tokyo but also people in Japan. But at the same time, the election has drawn lots of attention in different meaning recently because couple of famous or eccentric candidates run for the election, for some seemingly just to sell their names on this much publicized event.

This is the picture of one candidate, which proclaims in four Kanji letters “OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT”. On the right side, it also states “Let’s destroy this shitty country”.
Another candidate’s policy pamphlets, who is a famous inventor (according to his own explanation he invented Floppy Disc for the first time), and run for Tokyo Gubernatorial election in three consecutive times, manifest, “I will protect Tokyo by inventing the special device that has missiles U-turned”, which is obviously in reference to North Korea’s Nuclear Bomb.

When we think about current contentious issues, such as incumbent Governor’s high-handed education policy or his moot decision to invite Olympic to Tokyo, we can’t help contemplating seriously each candidates’ platforms as well as their personalities. But it would be boring to have only grumpy, serious, pompous, prestigious university graduating people for our selection. Furthermore, election should be open to everyone. Variety of choices could enable people who otherwise would be indifferent to politics itself to have interest in the election.
And of course, we should be ready for our own subsequent result.

By the way, when we have elections, there are TV program where each candidates are give time to present their own introductions and policy platforms through government run channel, NHK (kind of equivalent to BBC in UK). Because candidates should be free from ANY interference or censorship by the Government, they can announce WHATEVER they believe and want to deliver to viewers. So sometimes, whereas NHK is well known for their strong political-collectness, the programs become unbelievably shocking.
I put the legendary candidates’ footage, who run for Tokyo Gubernatorial election in 1991.
This is hilarious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-3QorADO8A

Catherine Tate

one of my friends recently told me about a British comedienne, named Catherine Tate.
I am really fond of her vivacious character.
so now I tell you my Japanese friends.
I think her accent is pretty clear and mild for the English beginner, which could be good practice for your listening.
some of them are a bit offensive, but I don't think it is much harmful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvXVLt_7a6k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncirovhlQcw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyF-DsVCJOE

I think i am a hack...

One of my happiness lies in finding good books and knowing something new.
I started the book “The Devil in the White City”, which gives me another excitement in my life.

Set in the World Fair in Chicago in 1893, the story is about two Americans who were destined to leave their names behind in American history for what they did for the Fair.
One is a respectable architect who directed architectural works in the Fair, and the other is a serial killer who allegedly murdered 27 people.

I didn’t know there was such a terrible psychopath back then, I didn’t know they already used the word “psychopath” at that time, and I didn’t know how much importance they put on the World Fair. Actually, they staked their country’s entire pride for the Fair to make their own Fair much more successful than previous the World Fair at Paris.

What is really amazing to me about the book is the author’s well-researched description of struggle among architects and city-planners, who were assigned to set up the Fair. With the time limited, man-power in short supply, and bureaucratic rivalry standing in the way, they were hell-bent with exceeding Eiffel Tower for their own country’s name!

Oh, shit! This sounds such a stupid comment on the cover of books!
Hey, Native speakers in the world! Could you tell me how to write something interesting and intelligent? Do I blatantly expose this crappy essay to the world? Yes! Because this is just my practice!

The words I learned recently.

REFULGENT

shining brightly; radiant; gleaming: Crystal chandeliers and gildedwalls made the opera house a refulgent setting for the ball.

OBSTREPEROUS

noisy, clamorous, or boisterous: obstreperous children.

SOMNOLENT

sleepy; drowsy

COROLLARY

Mathematics. a proposition that is incidentally proved in proving
another proposition.
a natural consequence or result.

Am I crazy?

I don’t like McDonalds.
I don’t like McDonalds, not because their exploitative business model deprives developing countries of appropriate profits which they deserve, not because their staff’s squeaky voices always drive me crazy to the point where I have so unbearable headache that I could think that their noisy background music sound like spirited hymn in a silent cathedral, not even because their greasy foods are instrumental in world-wide obesity problems in our time.
I don’t like McDonalds, because people don’t wait in line.

It is very legitimate for you to expect that you would be treated first if you go into any shop first. Am I wrong? But, more often than not, it doesn’t happen to me. Somebody who enters the shop AFTER me could get a chance to order the menu, and successfully go to seats with triumphant smile.

Surprising though it may be to some foreigners, we didn’t have a custom to wait in fork style line up until about fifteen years ago, as long as I remember. I still remember I was very careful to choose behind whom I need to wait in public toilets when I was a kid, especially when my bladder was nearly ticking. But now, as you see, we are making A line regardless it is public toilets, or regardless it is post offices. What a civilized country we are!!

But, McDonalds!
Okay, let me get straight. I like hamburgers. I love French fries. I love any kinds of junk food, because it is junk! There is a time when my craving for greasy, fatty, cholesterol-filled hamburgers is so powerful, so overwhelming, that I am unconsciously typing TELI-YAKI during my work instead of my boss’s name.
But, going into McDonalds, waiting for ages in messy circumstance with naughty kids kicking my shin, seeing some lucky and ungentle customers, who came later than me usually, being treated earlier than me only because my gluttonous guy or lady in front of me ordered four cheese burgers, five French flies, and six Cokes, and being left behind for long time is totally unacceptable for me.

Let’s make a line in Folk style, shall we?

A Problem from Hell

There are books that haunt you.
Whatever you are reading after that, or no matter what you are doing after that, there are books that remain in your heart long after you finished it, keeping whispering something to you quietly but persistently. Like a tiny thorn in your finger, it keeps stimulating your mind consciously or subconsciously.

“A Problem from Hell” is that kind of book to me.
I read this book almost two years ago, when I started studying English seriously. I was so ardent to read English so I picked up lots of English magazines and newspapers. One day, I spotted the name of Samantha Power in “TIME” magazine featuring 100 most influential people in the world. She was chosen among them because of her award-winning book. Looking at the author’s picture, a young, beautiful Irish lady was smiling casually. Thinking of the title of her book, I couldn’t really associate her delicate looking face with the main topic of the book, ie, Genocide.

Once I started reading the book, I remember that I couldn’t help reading it. Even though I was a starter of reading English book, I kept turning pages after pages till I came to the final letter.

In this book, Samantha Power, who was a former Balkan war correspondent, explores a series of 20th century’s mass slaughters and massacres, seeks the origin of a word “Genocide”, and examines actions and reactions of powerful countries, especially the U.S.A. From the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, Cambodia, Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, to Srebrenica, she researches intensely why and how these atrocities happened, how the U.S.A reacted (or didn’t react), and what caused the U.S.A to flinch and just to stand by in front of abhorrent tragedies.

When I was reading this book two years ago, I was always wondering what is the convincing reason that other countries have to intervene into conflicts at the risk of their own soldiers lives on behalf of other country’s matters. True, we must stop genocide. We must never allow crazy dictators to systematically kill innocent people and annihilate entire land. But when atrocities take place, what kind of ideas or beliefs can cause other states to move forward at the expense of their own lives?

To put it bluntly, we are not completely altruistic. We usually pursue our own happiness. We don’t want to lose our lives. Needless to say, we don’t want to risk ourselves for other people’s matters. Similarly states work according to their own interests. If you read this book, you can find quite a few brave people who run the risk of their carriers, their interests, or even their own life because they believe it is absolutely wrong to look away when Genocide is happening. One American lawmaker kept delivering speeches to encourage U.S Senate to ratify Genocide Convention for nineteen years, or more than 3,000 times. The other Diplomat flew into Iraq during Saddam Fussein’s gassing Kurds, leaving behind a memo to his thirteen-year-old son, saying, “By going there I thought I could help convince the Congress to provide the help. …. I am most sorry I won’t see you grow up.”
But also you will see their voices ignored, their hopes shattered, and their desperate attempts foiled. National Interests are always standing as kind of golden excuse.

I couldn’t find the idea or conviction or effective way for international society to stand up for our own morality when I read this book two years ago. Two years later, I again start this book to think about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK_mukvvYr8

"Infernal Affairs" or "The Departed" ?

Finally, Martin Scorsese won the Oscar for his newest movie, “The Departed”.
As you know, “The Departed” is based on a Hong Kong movie “Infernal Affairs”. So if you access to YouTube or something, there are lots of debates, vitriolic criticisms or even nasty racist’s remarks on which one is better than the other.

If you ask me what is my take on that, I think you would like the one which you watched first. Whether you see “Infernal Affairs” or “The Departed” first, because the sudden departure of your boss is so shocking, because the gradual showdown with your invisible opponent is so thrilling, and because an outcome of that showdown is so unpredictable, you can’t escape from strong and almost forcible impact when you judge the other.

Personally, I prefer “Infernal Affairs” to “The Departed”. Vulnerability and solitude of Tony Leung, a seemingly tenuous, but firm affection of Superintendent Wong toward Tony Leung, and a sentimental flashback that suggests that Tony wishs he had taken a different path in his life, all appeals to my preference. To be honest, I was, and still am so influenced by Tony Leung’s afflicted gesture in THAT falling down scene to the point where I scratch my hair when I encounter shocking events!! (Of course, I am humming that song in my head). Oh, don’t forget that breathtakingly beautiful rooftop scene!. A clear and serene sky against which two men stand with one pointing a gun to the other risking their lives.

Whereas Dicaprio’s character has a contact with his boss, their relationship is not as deep or affectionate as the one between Tony and Wong. So when time came, I couldn’t sympathize to them as much as I cried to Tony and Wong. And I watched "Infernal Affairs" first of course...

Or maybe, I was just so disappointed to see Alec Baldwin transformed into a petulant and foul-mouthed salary-man whom I can easily find on Friday night’s train here. Time wears on, and people change. I know it. But...I am always speaking as if I am a CIA officer when I am delivering a speech in public. Get back to me that intelligent Jack Ryan in “Hunt for The Red October”!!!

Is that a big deal?

The other day, I was with my friend in a coffee shop.
After we had seats, she asked me something with a bit bewilderd face. ( she is from England, by the way.) Actually, she asked me to ask stuffs to put some milk in her cup of coffee, because she doesn't like milk, which isn't in fact milk at all but kind of quasi milk and is usually served for coffee or tea here with a plastic package. So, as a quintessensial Japanese gentleman, which I mean me, I stood up, approached over them and asked,"Would you like to put some milk into her coffee?". But, a stuff, who seems to be a part-timer with a typical squawky voice, said, " I am afraid to say to you, but sorry we can't do that".

Partly because I wanted to be seen as a dependable person, and partly because I saw packs of milk behind the counter, I pushed up and insisted, "Please!"
Poor part-timer, realizing she doesn't have any authority over such a grave decision, walked away from us to the corner of the shop, and asked her seemingly boss.
A couple of seconds later, she came back to us, and again said," I know you don't like what I am going to say... but I am truely sorry that we can't do that".

I don't think I am either mean or persistent. But because I wanted to be seen as a reliable person, because I saw canteens of milk behind the counter AND because I couldn't believe that I need to ARGUE over this trivial things, I begged her to put milk into her cup. "Could you please put some milk for God sake?" Again, that bemused part-timer excused herself, walked over to her frown boss and whispered to her ears. After a couple of minutes, she came over to us and declared as if she passes some kind of judgement to the plaintiff who are indicted on suspision of tresspass or something," Okay, here you are, your milk!".

Maybe you would think this situation as typical Japanese scene, but the story didn't end with this yet. After she put milk into my friend's cup, she opened her palm and said "Here is your 20yen!!". We didn't get what she said so asked her what it is, which made us baffled.
"Now that you have some milk to your coffee, this became Cafelatte. And because Cafelatte is 20yen cheaper than coffee, you can take this!!".

This is neither joke or make-believe story, this really happened to us. Yeah, the fact that Cafelatte is 20yen cheaper than usual coffee is quite astounding story, but the reality that they declined to put some milk three times, succumbed to our persisten demand ( after a cute part-timer walked back and force between strange custmers and a sulky boss) and still or nonetheres or whatever tried to give 20yen back to us because somehow her coffee transformed into cafelatte according to thier wierd criteria is completely beyond our imagination.

I know we don't order something out of the menu in Japan, but I want this country to be more flexible for custmers as well as a confused part-timer!!!