About Gas Station.

After all, Japanese government recognized SDF fed American navy ships, which attacked Iraq, in Indian Ocean.



LDP says we should continue to feed them also for Japan. But I do think civilian control is most important matter for the world. Current constitution is very bad but constitutional violation is worst. It is not bring any long-term benefits to the world. SDF should stop feeding. Obviously Kitty Hawk attacked Iraq after feeding. I want Japan and America not to do such a fraudulent practice. I cannot help regarding what Kitty Hawk did is an act which cocks a snook at Japan's democracy.



I saw a TV program and learned about SDF in Iraq too. A politician of Social Democratic Party showed people a document reporting humanitarian assistance activities of SDF. I saw the inky papers. Most of it is kept a close secret by black ink. The politician said she can't understand what SDF is doing in Iraq. The politician said "SDF is in Iraq for humanitarian assistance activities, why do they keep strictly secret? What are they doing?".



A politician of LDP answered "I think the document reporting something about American army's mission.". Hmm, so? Again, SDF is in Iraq for humanitarian assistance activities. LDP make a request Japanese people to understand about the activities now. What can we understand it by reading the inky document? What SDF is doing is by no means free from doubts.



More than 40% of Japanese people think Japan should continue feeding. I know the sense. But I know we must maintain civilian oversight and we must observe the constitution. We must not unjustifiable act.



Have a nice sunday.

Entry for September 27, 2007

These years, I do think the world have been changing. You know, America is on the brink of a recession. But it doesn't have a profound effect against Japan, although it would affect Japan to some extent. I do feel beginning of multipolar age. That would mean backwoods culture becomes major culture. China is an example. America and Japan become weaker relatively. But others become rich. It is very nice for the world.



President Bush supports Japan to be a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. Thank you very much and I thought even Bush sometimes say a decent thing. But I know his aim, I'm glad and not glad. In addition, he often cites Japan when he speak about Iraq. But I think Iraq and Japan are so different. I think his cerebral nerve short-circuited. He called three countries as evil. Now Iraq is not evil but we realize there is one more evil. It is Bush. At least, he would be an axis of stupid, my friend said so. he expressed well. Endorsement from him must be a devil's work. I prefer Clinton. I hope Hillary reorganize America.



Have a nice day.

Miscellaneous impressions about Fukuda cabinet.

Personally I am content to member of New Fukuda cabinet. There are three good members for me. Yoichi Masuzoe, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry. Watanabe Yoshimi, minister in charge of financial affairs. Ishiba Shigeru, Minister of State for Defence. As to others, I don't know about them.



I think it was a LDP's fault that Koizumi and Abe cabinet didn't move in step with people. Koizumi was a lack of talk prime minister. Abe was an ambiguity prime minister. I hope Fukuda cabinet explain about their policy well.



Media people tend to like "Reform". There is a tendency that cabinets which call for reform receive a high evaluation by western country. But speed and balance of reform is a big matter. Koizumi and Abe cabinet was too fast and they lost a balance and lost endorsement. Even if they were right, too fast reform can't become successful. Middle-ground is best. If we were to take a worse-case scenario, it is communist revolution in years gone by. I hope Fukuda san adopts the golden mean.

About wood culture in Japan.

The worst weakness of mathematical formula is that it doesn't give much thought to uncertainty factor. That is, it passes over out of account. It would be a destiny of rationality.



Suppose you have 100 interceptor missiles, and one country launch a nuke-missile against your country. Even if 99 missiles don't fly just as you designed due to uncertainty, at least one missile would hit the nuke-missile. You would be able to dispel uncertainty in this case. However, if you have only a missile. you were able to do it?



Obviously policy makers need enough missiles. But they don't have enough. Japanese mountains has become a casualty of their luck of policy. We need a "missle" for our wood culture.



Now Japan imports so many woods from other countries. Non-Japanese woods are cheaper than Japan's ones. It has made Japan's forest industry to break down. In some area, they don't have enough budget to re-forest. You know, trees improve the soil-percolation capability of forests. Now, some areas are at increased risk of flood disaster. Market fundamentalism are not versatile. It is said government must establish "国家百年の大計". 国家　means "nation, state, government". 百年 means "100 years", の means "of" 大計 means "grand plan". That is, it means "Far-sighted policy". However, 100 years is enough span?



There is one more problem that year by year, by gradation, the number of ancient tree for woods are decreasing. To reform temples and shrines, we often need old aged trees, for example we may need more than 1,000 years old trees to reform many temples build in 6th century. 100 years old tree is too young. However, now we are poor in old trees due to forest industry. Cost to reform temples is skyrocketed. Now we often see concrete small temples at cities. Hmm, they are not beautiful. Even if I can understand the inevitable reason, my aesthetic feeling never live with the concrete temples.



If all ancient trees vanish, we can't reform ancient temples. And loss of integrity will leads loss of integrity of resources for tourism. We must establish "国家千年の大計". 千年 means "1,000 years".



In addition, I thought ancient Japan's architectural skills was great when I saw a news report. Kajima Corporation developed new construction system for condominium building which applied 五重塔's design concept and its earthquake-proof safety advanced by leaps and bounds. 五重塔 means "five-story [five-storied] stupa". The concept made more roomy high-rise-apartment possible. The condo also introduced latest quake-absorbing structure too. It is a great fusion.



It is a picture of 五重塔 of 法隆寺(Horyuji temple). It was build 1,300 years ago. It has perfect antiseismic structure. This time Kajima Corporation applied its main pillar's concept. Specialists call the technique as "flexible structure", 柔構造 in Japanese. 柔 is same as Jyudo's Jyu. Mere concrete ones are called as "stiff structure". 構造 means "structure". Already many high rise buildings in the world applies the design technique of 五重塔. I think I can say 五重塔　was 1,000-years far sighted project. The 五重塔 is supporting lives of people in the world now. What a good job.



"Short term has no future". We need to keep fostering old trees.



Well, story about formula may not have reration with wood culture. haha.



Have a nice AD 3007.

About Brains.

A candidate Aso Taro said "Do you know Nounai-maker?" during his speech at Akihabara in Tokyo. "Nounai" means "In side of brain". Nounai maker is a webwite where you can know components of someone's brain. If you enter someone's name there, the website tell you how the person's brain is. I'll show you inside of politician's brains. It is said this website hit the right on the head.



Mr. Aso Taro, a candidate of election for prime minister.



「麻生太郎」の脳内



"遊" means "playing". 悪 means "evil". He is not serious.



Mr. Fukuda Yasuo, a candidate of election for prime minister.



「福田康夫」の脳内



"悪" means "evil". "悩" means "distressing oneself". He must be an evil.



Prime minister Abe



「安倍晋三」の脳内



"金" means "money". Oh, he is a money monger.



In addition,



Mr. George Walker Bush



「George Walker Bush」の脳内



"嘘" means "lie". "幻" means "phantom". "逃" means "fleeing". "迷" means "wandering". "欲" means "gimme". Hmm, his brain is made of so many lies.



The picture is my brain.



"愛" means "love", 忍 means "endurance", "友" means "friends". I entered "Kosei". I also entered my real name, the results was just "Love". What a nice website. :-)



Nounai-maker: http://seibun.nosv.org/nou/



Please try. "入力" means "Enter (your name)". If you don't understand Kanji, I will tell you. Please don't get angry even if the result was bad.:-)



Have a nice day.

About wood culture in Japan.

The worst weakness of mathematical formula is that it doesn't give much thought to uncertainty factor. That is, it passes over out of account. It would be a destiny of rationality.



Suppose you have 100 interceptor missiles, and one country launch a nuke-missile against your country. Even if 99 missiles don't fly just as you designed due to uncertainty, at least one missile would hit the nuke-missile. You would be able to dispel uncertainty in this case. However, if you have only a missile. you were able to do it?



Obviously policy makers need enough missiles. But they don't have enough. Japanese mountains has become a casualty of their luck of policy. We need a "missle" for our wood culture.



Now Japan imports so many woods from other countries. Non-Japanese woods are cheaper than Japan's ones. It has made Japan's forest industry to break down. In some area, they don't have enough budget to re-forest. You know, trees improve the soil-percolation capability of forests. Now, some areas are at increased risk of flood disaster. Market fundamentalism are not versatile. It is said government must establish "国家百年の大計". 国家　means "nation, state, government". 百年 means "100 years", の means "of" 大計 means "grand plan". That is, it means "Far-sighted policy". However, 100 years is enough span?



There is one more problem that year by year, by gradation, the number of ancient tree for woods are decreasing. To reform temples and shrines, we often need old aged trees, for example we may need more than 1,000 years old trees to reform many temples build in 6th century. 100 years old tree is too young. However, now we are poor in old trees due to forest industry. Cost to reform temples is skyrocketed. Now we often see concrete small temples at cities. Hmm, they are not beautiful. Even if I can understand the inevitable reason, my aesthetic feeling never live with the concrete temples.



If all ancient trees vanish, we can't reform ancient temples. And loss of integrity will leads loss of integrity of resources for tourism. We must establish "国家千年の大計". 千年 means "1,000 years".



In addition, I thought ancient Japan's architectural skills was great when I saw a news report. Kajima Corporation developed new construction system for condominium building which applied 五重塔's design concept and its earthquake-proof safety advanced by leaps and bounds. 五重塔 means "five-story [five-storied] stupa". The concept made more roomy high-rise-apartment possible. The condo also introduced latest quake-absorbing structure too. It is a great fusion.



It is a picture of 五重塔 of 法隆寺(Horyuji temple). It was build 1,300 years ago. It has perfect antiseismic structure. This time Kajima Corporation applied its main pillar's concept. Specialists call the technique as "flexible structure", 柔構造 in Japanese. 柔 is same as Jyudo's Jyu. Mere concrete ones are called as "stiff structure". 構造 means "structure". Already many high rise buildings in the world applies the design technique of 五重塔. I think I can say 五重塔　was 1,000-years far sighted project. The 五重塔 is supporting lives of people in the world now. What a good job.



"Short term has no future". We need to keep fostering old trees.



Well, story about formula may not have reration with wood culture. haha.



Have a nice AD 3007.

I want to go on a one-day trip.

Now I plan to visit Take-dera in Kamakura city. "Take(たけ）" means bamboo, dera means "temple". I am not sure when I can visit there, but I want to visit very much.



The temple is famous for beautiful bamboos. Takedera is a nick name. Its real name is Houkokuji(報国寺) It is a Zen temple of Rinzai-sect, built in 1334. You can drink Japanese green tea and eat a cake at the temple, seeing beautiful bamboos, at 500 yen.



Kamakura wasn't the centre of culture but Kamakura was a centre of politics in Kamakura era. Overall, Kamakura's culture is just a rural and not luxurious one but it is a nice place to go on a one-day trip from Tokyo. I heard Kamakura is a posh city for people in Tokyo but I can't understand.



If at all possible, I want to live in such temple even though I don't want to become a monk. I would build a hermitage, would like to enjoy to listen to sounds of garden and of birds etc. But I don't want to depart from this living too.



白居易, a Chinese poet, said「大隱住朝市,小隱入丘樊」. It means "An unfledged eremite(hermit) live in mountain, a mature eremite(hermit) live in city". According to him, If I can enjoy only at lonesome place, I am an inexpert. :-)



Well,



Mr. Ben Shalom Bernanke, thank you very much. I listened Greenspan's comment too. I hope American people never suffer a shakeout.



Have a nice day.

The side surface of environmental technology of Japan

What Japan can do with the technologies? You know, Japan is developing next-generation technology in the name of environmental technology. Carbon fiber for car-chassis and for jet planes, then we don't need iron. Biofuel made from weeds, then we don't need crude oil. Reinforced resins made from carbon in air, then we don't need crude oil. These years, Japan's efforts are bearing fruit. Japan will develop plasma-engines whose fuel is water as I recall, and others. I guess Japan will develop plasma-electric generating station etc in the future too. Those technologies are great. I'm a person with an arts background, all I can do is impressed by engineers. Environmental technologies are cool.



It is obvious that Japan can gain resources. Still Japan's technology is not enough developed . But I think we can know resourceless countries like Japan will toughen. I think Japan's environmental technology may change the power relationship in the world. Japan might be independent militarily.



Like nuclear dispersal balanced the world, environmental technology may balance the power relationship between countries. Then what will be going on?



Just I guess. If all countries integrate others, we may be able to establish new United Nations which is not ruled by the five countries. It is obviously strange that United Nation is ruled by so called five victor countries of WW2. If people in the world conscientiously hope world peace, this system must be reformed. I'm interesting in the environmental technology in that regard too.



Have a nice future days.

As for Ancient Craftsmen

It is a photo of 鴟尾(Shibi) of 唐招提寺(Toushoudaiji-temple). Shibi is a amulet of buildings. The shibi was made in Tenpyo era, 1,200 years ago, and it is the oldest Shibi in the world. Several years ago, researchers found many small cracks, and the Sibi retired. We need a new shibi.



However, researchers found that there is a big problem that even if we utilize most advanced technologies, we can't make same one, the old technology is more advanced than current one.



An authority said "I can make the best shibi but we can use the shibi for only 70 years or so, for 1,200 years? I can't possibly do it!. ".



Authorities think the key is a process of clay but they have no idea.



I think ancient craftsmen are cool.



Today, it is Aged People's Day. It was established in 1951 to show respect for elderly people, who have contributed to society for many years. I think we should establish "Ancient craftsmen day".



Have a nice week.

As to this election

I think many non-Japanese people don't know how we elect prime minister. I write about it here. Basically, it is not popular election system. Diet members elect a next prime minister.



We have a bicameral system in Japan. We have "House of Representatives(lower house)" and "House of Councilors(Upper house)". Both congresses elect a candidate each. In the case of both congresses elected same candidate, the candidate become the prime minister. In the case of that they don't elect a same candidate, we hold a joint committee of both Houses. In the case of that the committee can't arrived at a decision, the candidate who was elected by lower house become the prime minister. Finally our emperor formally assign the candidate.



Now non-Japanese medias is reporting about election for party president　of Liberal Democratic Party(LDP). LDP is the majority of lower house. Traditionally, the president of LDP becomes a candidate of prime minister. So, the election for party president is a virtual election of prime minister.



Whoever become the prime minister, Japan's course will not change drastically. It seems Mr. Fukuda is a major candidate now. His father was a prime minister. I know nothing about Fukuda's policy.



Now, 480 seats are in lower house.



Ruling parties: 68.125% of 480 seats

LDP: 296 seats

Komeito: 31 seats



Opposition parties (including unaffiliated lawmakers etc)

DPJ: 113 seats

Communists: 9 seats

Socialists: 7 seats

Other parties: 5 seats



Unaffiliated lawmakers etc: 19 seats

as of latest election for lower house, in 2005.



Now, 242 seats are in upper house.



Ruling parties: 105 seats in total

LDP :83 seats

Komeito :20 seats



Opposition parties: 137 seats in total (including unaffiliated lawmakers etc)

DPJ: 109 seats

communists: 7 seats

Socialists: 5 seats

Other patries: 5 seats



Unaffiliated lawmakers etc: 13 seats

as of latest election for upper house, in 2007

Abe vs Ozawa, It is a beginning of two-party system.

Prime minister Abe has resigned. I was astonished by the news. He has just made a policy speech at diet previous day. It is a unheard-of story. Sort of like President bush resigned immediately after State of the Union address(一般教書演説 in Japanese).



The reasons he resigned are Mr. Ozawa denied to do meeting between party heads, then he can't follow through on feeding American ships at India sea without agreement of Ozawa, Ozawa said Abe cabinet doesn't reflect public opinion, he thinks he, Abe, has become an obstacle to continue the feeding, he thinks Japan should continue the feeding under new cabinet, according to Abe.



He is suffering from ill health, according to Mr. Yosano, the chief Cabinet secretary.



Ozawa is the head of Democratic Party of Japan. He said he didn't turn down the offer for the meeting. the meeting. Yosano is a grandson of Yosano Akiko and Yosano Tekkan.



I think even if prime minister changes, this situation never change as long as Democrats of Japan is majority of upper house.



Now LDP(Abe's party) has more than two-third seats of lower house. DPJ has more than 50% of upper house. We can pass a bill(general laws) if ruling party has more than two-third in lower election even if others has more than 50% in upper house. However, as to terminal laws, ruling party needs more than 50% in upper house, as I recall. special anti-terrorism law is a terminal law. Abe could make a new general law for the feeding. I can't understand him.





I think I wrote about I think he may misunderstand what Japan is, that is, he esteem highly Shintoism too much. I think his main problem is that he doesn't understand what Japan is. "Beautiful Japan", "Breakaway from Postwar resume" . Those words are very nice, but its contents were emptiness. I think he should have unite the abstract concept and reality. Philosophers often fail to unite them. It is a problem. And someone says he is a gently man too much so he can't understand life of common people.



It is obvious that if politicians don't think about common people, the government will collapse because majority is people. LDP(Abe's party) says we are not market fundamentalist but it is sure that they don't care people in a vulnerable position enough. Leadership needs to get grass-root support. His cabinet was a kind of house of cards, I think.

I think he should have resign when he lost upper house election on end of July. So called, I think I can say he has moved against voice of heaven in Chinese philosophical way. In this cases, nothing goes well.



I don't agree with Abe, but I don't hate Abe, I lament over him. I know how much mentally-demanding job is hard. It is sure illness causes poor judgment. The more we make an effort, the more we make the illness worse. Some people say he should overcome the agony with his effort and he should have continue even if he dies. Maybe yes, but I wish he recover from his illness, now that things have come to this pass.



As to Judo, the administrative board augmented the personnel, one Japanese become a administrator after all. It seems medias has made a quick judgment.



Who become next prime minister? Hmm, Yosano? Aso? Tanigaki? I don't hope Koizumi becomes it again.



Well, I have to go.

Judo without Japanese?

Mr. Yamashita lost an election. Now no Japanese executive in Judo League of Nations. Sort of like no American executive in American football League of Nations, Knighthood without English. Samurai culture can be without Japanese?



I think Judo's popularization would be right. But I think, year by year, Judo get uninteresting due to internationalization.



I think non-Japanese practice Judo is good. But the current situation of the league is strange.



No photo today.

This is for my Japanese blog.

これを見て阪神優勝を神に祈ろう。



















ついでに助っ人にも。







They are Ameican base ball players who played with Tigers.



フィルダーみっけ。

You know him? He played with tigers.

Entry for September 08, 2007

This time, a typhoon has hit Tokyo directly. River reservation had become a big river and some people swept away by muddy stream. In the case of a typhoon comes to Tokyo from south, it cause heavy rain in Tokyo area.



I think Tokyo metropolitan government and Japanese government don't assume powerful typhoon hit Tokyo immediately after huge earth quake hit Tokyo. It is not unlikely that it happens at the same time.



Tigers is in excellent shape. They stretched their winning streak to 8. Tigers may raise to the top tonight. I plan to watch a baseball game next weekend. I look forward to see it.



Still I am reading Xunzi these days. I must feel responsible for myself. :-)



Today I saw 大奥(Ohoku), a TV drama. It is a drama about women who were in inner palace of Shogun. It is a story of quite terrible and insidious bullying by women. Why women like to bully other women? If you know the answer, please tell me.



Well, speaking of Edo-era, I found interesting videos on You-Tube. I show you some of them.



This is a Bunraku puppet.







These are wind-up dolls.







The doll is a good archer than me. :-)







And, see these. She is male. His name is Bando Tamasaburo.



http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=8wdb7PK-bR0



http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=fspbj9ORwkM



It is said wind-up pupets are origin of Japan's robot tech.



Have a wonderful weekend!



No photo today.

Books I'm reading

These days I'm reading two books. One is Xunzi, the other is a book about Mongol titled "遊牧民から見た世界史(Yuubokumin kara mita Nihon-shi", the tittle means "The world history from point of view of nomads".



Every time I read Confucian books, I admire Confucianists. Also, I remember what our principals said. They must be learn from Confucianists and other adults. I can find many words for education in Xunzi's book. I think Xunzi is a must-read book for Japanese even if they like it or hate it. I don't mean people should follow Xunzi. I mean people should read it to think what we have to do in this society.



Xunzi said Human nature is putrid, we need to posteriori learn, and acquired learning make us better.". Although I think real human nature is good and also bad, I agree with him. Obviously we must learn or we cannot help learning. So called innate nature is very important but learning is more important, I think.



Some people say Confucianism is an old thought. Yes, I think so. But I think the core of what the y taught is common through the history. Even if Xunzi assumes feudalism, it is an essential truth that there is a pecking order in our society. If people disorderly act, society will collapse.



Xunzi said "人の生まれつきは固より小人なり、師なく法なければ即ち唯利を見るのみ。". It means "Human nature without virtue. If there is no teacher, no rule, people will be driven by self-interest.".



"礼(rei)" is the basic concept of Confucianism. "礼" means "norms(rule) in society". So, we can regard that all society in the world has "礼(Rei)" in the broadest sense of the word. Why we have Rei? We can learn and think about it by reading Xunzi.



Xunzi said "義を先にして利を後にする者には栄えあり、利を先にして義を後にする者には辱あり。". It means "One makes moral act a priority will bloom. To makes gain a priority and to postpone moral act will bring opprobrium on you.". It is a right-on suggestion.



I found a sentence in Xunzi that "斬いながら斉しく、枉りながら順に、不同にして一なる、夫れ是れを人倫と謂う、". It means "Distinction with equality, inflection in sequence. It is the moral cosmos(order). (My dictionary translated 人倫 to Humanity. But I don't think it means humanity.)



I found something common in Zen buddhism and also confirmed Zen buddhism is Chinese one. Hmm, there are many findings in the book. But I have to rush. I'll write about the book again.



Well, as to "遊牧民から見た世界史(The world history from point of view of nomads. )", this is a quite interesting book. It reminds me a buddhist philosophy that "Every where is the center.".



We tend to vision Egypt, China, Mesopotamia and etc, when we hear "Civilization". Those are city, they are settled people, settled agriculture. We tend to regard grassy plain as routes between a city and other cities. However, if they were not there, how our world is now? The world center is where they lived by some way. They, nomads, played a important role for the world. I think "nomad" has landloper like meaning, but Mongolian's life is very systematic.



Well, I also bought a book titled "生物と無生物のあいだ(Between animate beings and inanimate beings)". I look forward to read it.



Well, I want to sleep.



It is a photo of Omogo.



Have a nice day.

Lighten up, Japan!

Today's blog is a message for Japan. "40 years ago, Japanese car companies can't make automatic transmission. Why Japanese automobile industry is such competent now?" A professor Isao Nakatani gave viewers a reason for it on TV tonight. He said the major reason for it is Japan-civilization, "one-civilization in one country" featured us, our feature never changed and will never change, we are not Chinese, we are not Americans, we have been being Japanese, and the constancy allowed us to assimilate other culture's things, and we have a great deal of curiosity. etc.



Although his opinion is obviously a ready-made ideas, I think his opinion is not far off. He also said "Japanese business managers will fail to figure out why their company's products are competent if they don't see about Japan's tradition.". Also according to the professor, in books about business administration only mention about business maneuvers, but we should think about the feature of Japan's civilization.



These years, I often hear such opinion by informed people. I think the reason simply comes from the fact that Japanese lose our confidence a bit these years.



But in 19th century, Japan already began to make some most competent products and we won against Russia. In early 20th century, Japan's naval engineering become one of most competent. Zero fighter is one of ex-strongest air fighter. It is Japan. I guess current China's developing is very slow as compared to imperial Japan because we started since age of Cyonmage(Samurai's topknot). Japan took only about 30 years to make a first latest products while China took about 140 years and appear to still doesn't make it. Might be they made it but it took more than 100 years. Japanese should get confidence up more. We had to frustrate but we reestablished our country soon as if the Kamikaze blew.



I never say Japan is greatest because I think there is not the greatest country in the world. But Japan is also a great country. I am glad that I was born in Japan. I hope they don't feel pessimistic about our future. There is an assumption. If we don't strong on our good tradition, I don't assure of our future. Always Japanese are overly negative while we have a good tradition as "self-questioning". I think Japanese baffle in front of the door called as future because not a few Japanese have lost sight of principle as "Japan".



I'm reading Xunzi these days. To be continued.



I took the photo. It is me in Second Life.

Books I'm reading

These days I'm reading two books. One is Xunzi, the other is a book about Mongol titled "遊牧民から見た世界史(Yuubokumin kara mita Nihon-shi", the tittle means "The world history from point of view of nomads".



Every time I read Confucian books, I admire Confucianists. Also, I remember what our principals said. They must be learn from Confucianists and other adults. I can find many words for education in Xunzi's book. I think Xunzi is a must-read book for Japanese even if they like it or hate it. I don't mean people should follow Xunzi. I mean people should read it to think what we have to do in this society.



Xunzi said Human nature is putrid, we need to posteriori learn, and acquired learning make us better.". Although I think real human nature is good and also bad, I agree with him. Obviously we must learn or we cannot help learning. So called innate nature is very important but learning is more important, I think.



Some people say Confucianism is an old thought. Yes, I think so. But I think the core of what the y taught is common through the history. Even if Xunzi assumes feudalism, it is an essential truth that there is a pecking order in our society. If people disorderly act, society will collapse.



Xunzi said "人の生まれつきは固より小人なり、師なく法なければ即ち唯利を見るのみ。". It means "Human nature without virtue. If there is no teacher, no rule, people will be driven by self-interest.".



"礼(rei)" is the basic concept of Confucianism. "礼" means "norms(rule) in society". So, we can regard that all society in the world has "礼(Rei)" in the broadest sense of the word. Why we have Rei? We can learn and think about it by reading Xunzi.



Xunzi said "義を先にして利を後にする者には栄えあり、利を先にして義を後にする者には辱あり。". It means "One makes moral act a priority will bloom. To makes gain a priority and to postpone moral act will bring opprobrium on you.". It is a right-on suggestion.



I found a sentence in Xunzi that "斬いながら斉しく、枉りながら順に、不同にして一なる、夫れ是れを人倫と謂う、". It means "Distinction with equality, inflection in sequence. It is the moral cosmos(order). (My dictionary translated 人倫 to Humanity. But I don't think it means humanity.)



I found something common in Zen buddhism and also confirmed Zen buddhism is Chinese one. Hmm, there are many findings in the book. But I have to rush. I'll write about the book again.



Well, as to "遊牧民から見た世界史(The world history from point of view of nomads. )", this is a quite interesting book. It reminds me a buddhist philosophy that "Every where is the center.".



We tend to vision Egypt, China, Mesopotamia and etc, when we hear "Civilization". Those are city, they are settled people, settled agriculture. We tend to regard grassy plain as routes between a city and other cities. However, if they were not there, how our world is now? The world center is where they lived by some way. They, nomads, played a important role for the world. I think "nomad" has landloper like meaning, but Mongolian's life is very systematic.



Well, I also bought a book titled "生物と無生物のあいだ(Between animate beings and inanimate beings)". I look forward to read it.



Well, I want to sleep.



It is a photo of Omogo.



Have a nice day.