Lady of American Indian

 

What and why are you praying in the transparent sunset time? Lady of American Indian was just silent.

Cathedral in Guadalajara

 

Mexico, Philippines and Japan were connected in 16th-early 17th centuries over the Pacific with Spanish traders. This cathedral in Guadalajara has the record of Martyrdom happened in Japan around that time 

Trump supporter

This Asian lady is a fanatic Trump supporter. Why do rock-solid supporters follow Trump?

One reason is that his words and the way he expresses them are quite simple and easy to understand.

The United States is a country where the media is guaranteed freedom of the press. However, the contradiction is that the media, as a business, tends to try to improve their ratings by expressing things in a simpler way. This business practices can create the trend for people to jump to messages that are easier to understand.

The simplicity of the “Make America Great Again.” message also have attracted this Asian woman. Whether her comments are true or not is questionable. However, it is important to note that Trump's bedrock supporters are not just people of Caucasian descent, but also some of these new immigrants with strong attachments to America.

Understanding America requires exploration of many different aspects. Among from such aspects, one of the most important American values is the right of each person to freely pursue his or her happiness. However, when more and more people realize that this is simply a propaganda due to the reality of the tough life, then when various grievances and frustrations grow through the gaps, the divisions are created within Americans. 

This is probably what causes people to become more inclined toward the simple and refreshing messages.

I do not want to comment on which side is right and which side is wrong. However, one thing I want to mention is that the most serious cause of the current division is that people on either side have lost the way to touch, listen and empathize with the backgrounds and hearts of the people on the other side.

small industrial revolution

 

In between my busy work schedule, I worked on a small industrial revolution.

Until now, I spent many days from spring to summer chopping wood with an axe to make firewood for the winter stove. This is because if the wood is not made by summer, it will not dry out sufficiently.

However, a local friend came over with a wood-chopper machine on his truck and I borrowed it to use. This friend is an amazing man who emigrated from Iran and is now a carpenter in Japan. He has worked on the renovation of Ikebukuro station (one of the biggest stations in Tokyo) and other major buildings. He now lives in my hometown and helps me with many things. He also imparts wisdom of life that has been passed down from generation to generation in his country.

Anyway, I tried the machine. Although I am not used to it, with this machine, my work will be 10 times more efficient! But it does not use muscles, so the amount of exercise is reduced to one-tenth.

Which is better? It is exactly the issue of convenience and degeneration that all human beings are facing. Anyway, in the pleasant early summer air, while enjoying the scent of wood, I managed to split a huge amount of wood and produce firewood in one day.

Then there is the task of putting it on special shelves. This cannot be done without manual labor.

The sound of a bush warbler can be heard coming from the forest. It was a day that made me think that we must cherish nature.

Starting next week, I will be traveling to Korea and the U.S. for three weeks for training business. The quiet ease will be over soon.

Mountain temple in southern Kyoto

Mountain temple in southern Kyoto is covered with autumn leaves. Take a deep breathe to feel the winter steps. 

 

Zocalo in Mexico City

 

Spending the last night at Zocalo in Mexico City before the flight for Tokyo gave me special attachment.

Departure time is just several hours away.

with spring flowers

 

Country train, celebrated with spring flowers. 

Turkey

 I heard there was an earthquake in the western part of Turkey. I hope people and this beautiful Greco-Roman city Ephesos are still as it were.

Omicron’s thread

 Right before Omicron’s thread, I left the US and arrived in Japan. Now, government has announced to close border. I hope I can visit to see this beautiful evening of Soho again. How soon will it happen…? #world #New_York #travel

sleeper train

 

I took a business trip to Da Nang, Vietnam. In the weekend, I decided to visit Hue, the old capital of this country. 

I was on board of the train that takes three-and-a-half-hour to reach there, instead of the two-hour trip by car. It was a sleeper train, even more classic version of the blue train that I used to run from my hometown to Tokyo in the olden days.

I spent a nostalgic time by sitting in a coach pulled by a panting diesel-powered locomotive. Now, in the midst of the smooth and comfortable daily travel, the smell of fuel oil and the sweat of the workers, the aroma of the food sold in the wooden train, and the murmur of the passengers, all of this is being forgotten. Along with this oblivion, we are also forgetting the human’s bonds and connections sticked in the villages and towns, as we have entered the digital age. 

The train arrived safely in Hue at 1:30 pm, albeit a little late.

On the way home, it was late at night, so I had no choice but to drive to Da Nang all at once along the newly constructed highway. It was a day as if I had been dreaming.

Vietnamese town

More than 400 years ago Japanese immigrants were quite active for trading in this old Vietnamese town. Their sprits may hide in the shadow of these old houses.

Bangkok

 

When I visited Bangkok for the first time in a long time, I met Wanchai Chaiyasit, who is my friend and business partner.

He is a veteran of the field, having studied psychology in the U.S. and worked in child education and English language education for many years.

Wanchai believes that English education should start with the development of conversational and communicative skills, and that English education in Thailand lacks this perspective. I thought that Thailand has the same issues as my country.

As a psychologist, he is also interested in changes in children's communication skills themselves.

He points out that in this day and age, people tend to become defensive in order to protect their identities. He believes that a mindset-shift from "defensive" to "cope" is necessary to develop communication skills.

Wanchai explains that the inability to do so is behind not only the division of the world, but also the problem of bullying among children.

When we are attacked by others, instead of immediately trying to defend ourselves, we need to be aware of how we should deal with the issue brought on the table without stressing out over it.

When debating in English, when the discussion becomes a parallel line between winning and losing, we need to shift our awareness from a defensive attitude to a cope mindset in order to understand the background of our opponent's attacks and our own reactions. Then we need to try to share the issues at a higher level.

He has been working in the field of education for many years, always thinking about this kind of human consciousness and trying to apply it to the real educational field. It is great thing that I admire him. Perhaps what is lacking in the current educational field is the attitude like him. In other words, in these days educators are not always aware of these issues and does not try to dig deep into them.

For the first time in a long time, I would like to invite someone like him to conduct a workshop.

Come to think of it, I often participated in workshops on these issues while I was in the U.S., which made me nostalgic.

With my brother, I visited

With my brother, I visited this mountain that nobody has climbed. l believe his soul is over this mountain to the heaven.

enjoy your freedom

 

With the solitude, enjoy your freedom....

autumn is getting deeper and deeper.

 

After the severe hail, calm afternoon returned, and autumn is getting deeper and deeper. I pray and hope, from the distance, people can integrate after the election in the US. 

Himeji-Jo

Visit us with your friends. This is the feudal castle called Himeji-Jo, the world heritage.

Pangasinan

 After the second vaccination will be over, I will fly back to Pangasinan where my colleagues are working. 

southern France

The cafe in the central Arles where Van Gogh might visit long time ago. blight memory of southern France. 

early morning of Taipei

I like early morning of Taipei before people start active. See you my friends over there right after current pandemic will be over. Everybody please take care.

Tony Bennet

 

sky is so high and blue!

 It must be already autumn as sky is so high and blue! 

Boston

Finally, Autumn has come. It was short stay in Boston, but I enjoyed chilly nostalgic evening.

called Sagada

 

10 hours’ driving from Manila. This is the place called Sagada where race paddies are piled to the top of the steep hill. Just amazing coexistence between humans and nature! 

Vietnamese students at Taiwan's Longhua University of Science and Technology

 

One of the best memories of this year was when I gave a lecture to Vietnamese students at Taiwan's Longhua University of Science and Technology. I did it just a few weeks ago. It was meaningful to be able to spend a whole day interacting with students on how to promote economic exchange beyond cultural boundaries. Longhua is becoming a human resource supply center for Taiwan, which dominates global semiconductor market, and is receiving thousands of Asian students. People will gather at the interface between Southeast Asia and East Asia, including Japan, to support future industries and economies of this region. Breathing in such vibrant enthusiasm, I somehow feel a big gap when I return to Japan. So next year, I would like to continue my journey toward south, interact with many people, and think about what the gap is between the two countries. As Taiwan and Kyushu are about to become one economic zone in the semiconductor business, people who can fully immerse themselves in various Asian countries may be in demand now.

Have a Happy New Year!