lottery

This is an advertisement of a lottery that I saw in a train. This time, I try to explain it.

We pronounce it as "ni-o-ku-e-n, katte-ma-tsu-da-ke, u-mee-ha-na-shi"（におくえん、かってまつだけ、うめぇはなし）. It is written in Haiku（俳句） style, 5-7-5 syllable poem.

Normally, we write it as "「二億円　勝手待つだけ　うめぇ話」（In my translation, "(The first prize is) Two hundred million yen. It is only "buying it and waiting (for the result) for you to do. It is a very good chance for you because you can get it without any other efforts."

But, the writer uses 「松（まつ）」"pine", 「竹（たけ）」"bamboo", 「梅（うめ）」"Japanese apricot" instead of 「待つだけうめ」. Why?

It is a kind of "word play". We often use 「松竹梅」 as a sign of celebration. So, the writer use them to make the copy more interesting.

"Shouwa-shi"

"Why did Japan start the war, the Pacific War, without considering the end of it or the way to end it?". I have been interested in this question in a few years. This theme has many comprehensive things, and probably, no one, even in Japan could explain it correctly, I think.

"Shouwa-shi"s （昭和史） written by Hanfuji Kazutoshi（半藤一利） are good texts for considering about it. These are written in easy expression and has taught me a lot of things that I had never known.

Most Japanese (including me in the past) have thought that Japan had invaded other Asian countries in not humanitarian way, and this invasion led to the war. Of course, it is partly correct, but the belief has stood at very one side. I had thought what caused this simple, superficial thought in Japanese.

I found an interesting fact that is likely to link to this belief in the books.

According to the books, the GHQ used two media to educate Japanese. The first was "Taiheiyou-sensou-shi"（太平洋戦争史）"the history of the Pacific War". It appeared in Japanese newspapers in December of 1945 and described that Japanese army invaded the Asian countries in very cruel way.

The second was "shinsou-wa-kouda"「真相はこうだ！」(in my direct translation, "the fact was like this!"). It was a radio program that started also in December of 1945 and also told the cruelty of the Japanese military. Those included "the Death March of Bataan" and "the Nanking Massacre".

The GHQ or America had succeeded in educating Japanese people who were very shocked with the defeat of the war, I think.

P.S. Now, I have learned that the title of "shinsou-wa-kouda" in English is "Now It Can Be Told".

two purchases

I lost an i-Pod shuffle that I used for about 2years in the end of December last year. So I bought a new i-pod shuffle earlier January. My main use of it is to listen to the VOA Special English programs taken from its podcast in a train on my way to my office.

The new i-Pod shuffle has a convenient function that speaks the title of music or program. But, it does not have a basic function that plays a song a little bit forward or back.

But, I found the old one in my jacket last week. I had forgotten that I kept it in my cloth, probably because I spent busy time for nursing my father.

The second purchase in recent days is Regina Carter's album;"I will be seeing you:a sentimental journey". She is an African-American jazz violinist, and one of my favorite musicians. I have heard her name and music through VOA Special English program.

By the way, the new i-Pod shuffle's new function brought me a small finding. I had thought that her first name is pronounced "REJINA" for a long time, but it sounds "REJAINA" to me in its speaking function. I don't know which is correct.

"Ume"

The "Ume"（梅）, Japanese apricot, in my house's yard has started having its flowers.

This tree has a small history on my family.

About thirty years ago, my elder brother received a small "Ume" tree at the coming-of-age ceremony. My father planted it on a ground where now my house stands. Since then, the "Ume" has grown to an adult tree that have its flowers and fruits every year.

This year, it is expected to have many flowers and fruits even though it had fewer flowers last year.

I can remember my father who died last month when I see its flowers. I think that it is good idea to plant a tree as a memory because it make people remember something important.

work in nursing home

The population of elder people is increasing, and it has become a serious social problem in Japan. And less people want to work as care worker in nursing homes because of relatively less payment, and it has another social problem.

This article says that two Indonesian care workers have started working in a nursing home in the city of Kitakyushu. This movement is based on the EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) between Japan and Indonesia. They have to take a national license in three years to stay in Japan for working as care worker. It is very difficult for foreign workers to pass the test because its texts do not have "furigana"（ふりがな）.

I have been interested in "international cooperation" work for a long time. But, it is difficult for me to work aboard now because I am not so young and cannot resign my job for economic reason.

However, I can do support them along their needs even though I have stayed in Japan. I think that it is a kind of "international cooperation" work. I am going to meet them in near future and I would like to help them if they need my support.

a funeral

My father died of cancer earlier last week. He was 79 year old. Generally, people in Japan hold two funerals for a person who died. They hold the first funeral called "Tsuya"（通夜） in an evening as soon as possible. And at the day after "Tsuya", they hold an official funeral called "Soushiki"（葬式） or "Sougi"（葬儀）. My father's "Tsuya" was January 20, and "Soushiki" was 21.

He was identified as having lung cancer in the end of October last year. He started taking anti-cancer drug in a hospital in the first of November. But, he stopped receiving this treatment in the first of December because the doctor could not find any good sign of treatment, only found bad effect against his body. He was back to home, and spent time with his wife (my mother).

He checked in the hospital again on the Christmas day after staying home for about 2 weeks because he felt severe problem in his body. We (I, my mother and brother) recognized he had weakened day by day since then.

My father's death did not cause a strong emotion to me during the funerals because I am not so an emotional person, but I am slightly filled with tears when I see my mother sobbing.

By the way, I have grown peas in my garden. The seeds of them were taken from last year's peas. The original peas were given to me from my father in 2008. I will continue to grow these peas as possible as long, and I can remember my father when I eat them.

family trip

Every year, my family have a small trip in the end of December. Its aim is mainly to heal our bodies by bathing in "onsen".

This year, we went to "Harazuru-onsen"（原鶴温泉） in Fukuoka prefecture and stayed one night at a hotel. But, I could not enjoy this trip so much because of a severe problem in my family. (However, I am not in the mood for writing about it here.)

I took only above five photos. The first two are the hotel's dishes. And the second three are a honey bottle sold in a souvenir shop in the hotel. It contains a vespinae. The naming is a little bit funny, I think.

Christmas illumination

In this season, Christmas season, we can see illuminations in many places, including private house. This a nearby house with decorative lights.

I am not interested in decorating my house with this type of illumination, but I like seeing them.

good weather for surfers

Today, it was cloudy, and a little bit rainy. But, I rode my bike for about 2 hours in this bad condition.

However, I saw a lot of surfers enjoying this bad weather on my way. Big waves make it possible for them to ride surf boards.

”Matsumoto-sarin-incident”

Yesterday, I had a chance to listen to a lecture by a victim in "Matsumoto-sarin-incident"（松本サリン事件） that happened in 1994. He talked about his valuable and very hard experience in his speech. He was certainly one of victims, but at first the police and media had treated him as a suspect. And this wrong condition continued for about one year. He had become a true victim after the police announced that the true criminal were the believers in "Aum-Shinrikyou"(オウム真理教).

After the lecture, I saw a message written by the speaker in the hall. I was a little bit impressed with it. I try to translate it into English.

「人を憎んだり、恨んだりする行為は人生をつまらないものにしてしまう」

"Hate, or grudge lets your life something dull."
"To hate others, or to hold a grudge against others spoil a person's life."
I am not confident in this translation, so I welcome your correction.