Entry for December 30, 2007

Did you make any New Year's resolutions? I hope that the New Year finds you in good health. I finished housecleaning now. Fuuuuu,,, I'm very tired. I feel a tickle in my nose. Tomorrow I will back to Osaka and intend to sleep as much as I want to. This year was a really good year for me. "Sun also rises", you know. I haven't read the book though.



Have a nice day!

Housecleaning day.

Japanese people clean a house in this season to welcome the New Year. I also am doing a major housecleaning since yesterday and I will do it tomorrow too. Yesterday I cleaned down bath room, toilet, lavatory, entrance room and kitchen. Today I will do up other 3 rooms. Unfortunately my possessions already reached a saturation point several years ago. Hmm, I think I should box in my possessions which I don't use usually. By doing this, I can relocate all of the time. Well, I don't have a time to write a blog.



Have a nice weekend!

I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I wish you a merry christmas! Today I am free in the afternoon. I watched Larry King Live. Its issue was Christian faith and it had very interesting contents. "How Jesus vote on election?", "Jesus don't want to be celebrate his birthday.", "Jesus will admit death penalty.", etc, They gave free expression. I heard again about that there are people find offense with Christmas. Hmm, I never found offense with it. It seems there are people criticize Christmas as business competition. Hmm, maybe they are right. One gospel group turn up in the show too. They sang "Shopping, stop!, Don't pay interest!" on the street where people are shopping. I don't understand them.



Also Yoko Ono(John Lennon's wife), George's wife, Paul and Ringo turned up in the TV program. I found Yoko Lennon is still a live. I thought she already died. She is as somber as ever. These years, I haven't hear about her son. Here, we have John-Lennon-museum built by Yoko Lennon and by others in Saitama prefecture. I haven't been there though.



Today I've suffered burns by Hot ginger drink. I have screamed! "Gyaaaaa!!" I ran cold water over the burn soon and am icing now. I feel the smart. I have to take care not to burn. When I am tired or am thinking something, I always decrease alertness. Last year I suffered burns by my Birthday cake's candles. LOL.



I'll back to Osaka on New Year's Eve. Just I will sleep in my family home except visiting a grave to clean down it and to say thank you. Curious to say, I feel my ancestors keep face for me. Here, it is said family which are not strong on family grave break down. It can be true because family has precepts. Not to be strong on grave can be same as not to be strong on the precepts, I think.



Merry Christmas!

Entry for December 23, 2007

Here, today is Emperor's Birth Day. Tomorrow is its compensating holiday. 25th is a weekday. Times flies. Next year is 2008, 20th year of Heisei. Oh,,,,20th. Times flies like an arrow indeed. Current Emperor is 74 years old now. Heisei era may continue to 30s. Hmm, next year is 2,668th year of Koki, I think. Koki is a way of counting years of Japan. That is, it means First Emperor of Japan Became an emperor 2,668 years ago. But we don't use the way commonly now.



Well, I need to sleep because I'm very tired today.



It is a photo of Kyoto.



Merry Christmas!

About UFO

Have you seen a UFO? You know someone who has seen a UFO? In the Diet, a member of the House of Councilors, Mr. Yamane, asked "Do you study about UFO?" to prime minister Fukuda. Mr. Yamane criticized prime minister, saying "There are many people who say they have seen UFO, why don't you study about it? Investigate it. Aliens may attack Japan. You don't have a sense of crisis!".



I think there may be huge octopus in the sea too, there maybe people in bowls of the earth and may attack us. There maybe missiles to attack the earth in Mars. Maybe aliens eavesdrop on our conversations. It constitutes an invasion of privacy. We can't affirm that there is no aliens and monsters. Maybe Godzilla is.



Ex-FM, Mr. Aso Taro, said his mother has seen a UFO. Chief Cabinet secretary said he believes there are aliens somewhere. Hmm, it is sure we need to investigate about it. :-)



In fact, I thought I've seen a UFO when I was a junior-high student, it was cold war age. But I knew it was Soviet's "Mir", a space station.



Speaking of UFO, all unidentified flying objects are UFO. I often see flying objects I can't identify. Those are UFOs. Also, in trains conductors often say "If you find a burden of uncertain ownership etc, please tell me." for anti-terrorism policy in Japan. However, many burdens on overhead rack are of uncertain ownership. Also, train companies are listed companies. I can't identify who own the trains.



Merry Christmas!

Entry for December 18, 2007

You and your family believe that Santa is? Did you believe that Santa is? It seems kids today don't believe Santa is in Japan too. I heard there are some parents who tell kids that Santa doesn't exist. When I was a kid, already many kids didn't believe it. But my elder brother still believes that Santa is. He avers he heard sound of Santa's bell when he was a kid. One Christmas Eve, a person who wore a red cloth stood in front of door of our room (Grand father's house) where I and my brother was sleeping. Next morning, presents was at the head of our futon. As I recall, then my brother said he heard the sound of bell. I think my ground father or ground mother wore a red cloth and rang a bell for us. Santa is a very nice tradition, indeed.



Now people in Kobe holds Kobe-Luminarie. It is a photo of Kobe-Luminarie. Luminarie is now a popular annual winter event in Kobe, and was designed to give the residents "hope" and "light" to reconstruct their severely damaged city.



Merry Christmas!

Entry for December 17, 2007

I watched TV news reporting that Christmas has been changing to "Happy Holidays" in America and religious associations remonstrated. I like the name "Christmas". It sounds as if I can get some presents. :-) Here Christmas doesn't have religious overtone in Japan. Although there are some Christians, they are very minority. In fact, I don't remember what for Christians celebrate Christmas. As I recall, it is a birthday of Jesus. I think Japanese celebrate it only to celebrate me.



For me, my birthday, 20th, is more important. In this season, Japanese people jazz up. I think they do it to celebrate my birthday till 25th. I've said "You jazz up for me, right?" many times in my life. Some friends said "No" and other ones said "yes". :-) Anyway, thanks to Christmas, Cities are always bright in my birthday. Thanks for a job well done. Haha.



Santa Claus sounds サンタクロース(Santa Kurousu). His name can become a Japanese sentence that "三太、苦労す". 三太(Santa) is a Japanese first name, it sounds Santa. "苦労す(Kurou-su)" means "experience hardships". Hence "Santa experiences hardships" is his name.

In fact, Santa experiences hardships because he must visit all houses where kids sleep, I think. :-)



Have a nice day.



It is a photo of Christmas in Kobe.

Entry for December 15, 2007

Today, I want to read books, ling down on Tatami mats. The tatami feels good, and it smells good. Tatami mats are where Japanese should be. :-) Several days ago, I bought a book titled "明恵証人伝記", which means "Myoe's biography". Myoe is a monk of Kegon Buddshim in mid-age. I'll read the book. I've studied about him, when I was a student. However, I haven't read the book because it was not on sale at book stores. He got enlightenment when she saw a glance on a morning dew on a flower petal reflecting sun light. He saw all of the world in the glance and got enlightenment.



These days, I eat Ocya-Zuke(boiled rice with tea) with Tsukemono(pickled vegetable) and Wasabi(Japanese horseradish) in morning. Pickled ones I eat are,,,well, Takuwan, Shiba-zuke, Umeboshi, Nozawana-zuke, Shiso-zuke etc. This morning I will eat them with Tarako (cod roe). I do feel happy when I am eating Ocya-zuke. In addition, last night I ate Yakiniku(Korean style roasted meat). So, I'm garlicky today. :-) "To be able to spend normal days" is the most happy thing, in deed.



In addition, yesterday, I bought a new hair drier. I was astonished by its engineering innovation. It was as if I put conditioner on my hair.



It is a photo of Ikebukuro area in Tokyo.



Have a nice weekend!

Entry for December 13, 2007

I am very happy today while I don't know the reason. I felt happy even about that I was walking and breathing today. It was raining today. Raining, also a happy affair. The wind blows, what a happy affair. A warm space heater in my room now. What a happy affair. I've been refreshed only by spending today.



I recalled that one my teacher, who is a specialist of ancient Buddhism and a monk of pure land Buddhism, said "What Buddha realized was Zen itself.".



People tends to think that Zen buddhism preaches about something special. There is no special thing in Zen's thought. That is, there are special things in Zen life because there is no special things. Special things are normal thing. You know our life contains special things. That renouncing worldly desires is to spend life normally. Realizing is nothing more than it. It is OK to feel sadness when we are sad. It is OK to be happy when we are happy. Those who overcome the problem of life go well by the way. Zen monks who preach about special something are impostors.



I think the number of people who look unhappy increased in Tokyo these years. Perhaps, they adhere special things etc too much. Capitalism tends to people become unhappy because capitalism depend on human desire. People unconsciously are ruled by desire. It is a cause of causes of it. All in all, it means people don't understand what capitalism is for their life. People must rule capitalism but reality is reversed. Even though Happiness is around us.



When one's life plan breakdown, people tends to think life plan breakdown and feel unhappy. But I think in many cases, the one's idea of life was wrong and it is a cause of unhappy. Well, these days I'm very busy. i'm short on time to write more.



Have a nice day!



It is a photo of Shinjyuku. I took it at Kabuki-cyo.

Entry for December 11, 2007

I think often it is the best way to read a book when I have something on my chest. 孫子(Sun Tzu) said "知彼知己者、百戦不殆". It means "If you know about yourself and about your enemy, you will not lose a war. ". Hence, I read a behavioral psychology book translated from an English book these days. A not good translator translated though. (Now I recalled that when I was a kid, I wanted be a warring lord.) Perhaps, all Japanese know this word, "知彼知己者、百戦不殆". But to know them is not easy.



People, especially specialists, often get overconfident. However, "to be informed" and "to become confident" often have no connection with each other,,,. There must be some answer in my mind.



I always say "Men must be minority when we are confident". But men who experienced success in one stretch always get overconfident, even though phenomenon is always more correct than interpretation. People often develop delusions as if they control the phenomenon. I think "to realize oneself is stupid" is the start point to be wise. There must be some answer in my mind,,,,,,,,,,,.　Perhaps, rational nature is one of most chancy one among creatures by the nature.



Have a nice day.



It is a photo of Eikando in Kyoto.

Japanese TV commercials

I show you Japanese TV commercials. I like Tommy Lee Jones ones very much. Hollywood stars often act in Japanese TV commercials.



Japanese TV-CM



This is Japan's Fanta's CM collection.







Bruce Willis







Duran Duran







Shuwa-chan's CM







Cameron Diaz







Steven Seagal







JODIE FOSTER







Tommy Lee Jones

















Michel J Fox.







Jennifer Lopez







Jackie Chan







Cup-Noodle. I liked this one.









Have a nice day and good night.

About "Hannibal Rising"

I watched Hannibal Rising. I saw a curious Japanese woman(Gong Li acted), Murasaki, in the movie. I often feel strange against Hollywood movie dealing Japan. Murasaki is not person's name, it is just a name of color, which means purple. Mrs. Murasaki is an Dr. Lector's aunt by marriage. I like Gong Li though, she is not a Japanese. Her demeanor is not Japanese one. "Mrs. Murasaki". Hmm,, it is less of a reality.



Mrs. Murasaki enshrines a Japanese armor in her house. But I think we don't do such thing. And her Japanese sword is too new, obviously it is not her ancestor's sword.



Murasaki and Lector was practicing Kendo in the movie. They were not good. Lector killed a man at a lake. But their "ready(Kamae)" is bad. Although I haven't cut anything with Japanese sword, I think he can't kill a man with such poor technique. "This sword was not nicked(刃こぼれ）" Lector said after he killed the man. I got laughing. The sword must be nicked by his poor technique. Too cut one's neck is not easy, I heard.



The movie itself is very interesting and I enjoyed so much.





By the way, I saw a Obama girl's movie. I don't know how I should comment. :-) Anyway, I want to see Fukuda girl too. :-)







It is a photo of Kabuki-cyo in Shinjyuku. Several years ago, fire occurred at this street and many people has killed and become a big news.



Have a nice sunday.

Entry for December 07, 2007

I have just fully recovered. I tried an aspirin contained medicine this time and it worked well.

Also I took "葛根湯(Kakkontou)", a chinese medicine, too. In Japan, as I recall, we couldn't buy aspirin contained medicines at drug stores without a medical prescription. So, probably this was the first time to buy it at a drug store.



In Japan, this month, December, is called as "師走(Shiwasu)" which means "Teacher runs". It is busy on December as much as even teachers have to run. No wonder I have to run. End of this month. Also I have three private events this month. Very busy.



These years, I perform a purification ceremony at Kitain-temple in Kawagoe city on New Year's Month. It is my sect's temple and there is 不動明王(Cetaka) in the main-hall.　Next year is 20th year of Heisei era. Maybe, 2668 of Koki(Japan's imperial century).



I saw a TV news that Barack Hussein Obama Jr is dominant over Clinton now. His name is interesting. Barack sounds バラック in Japanese. And it means "a hut; a shanty; a shack". Obama is as if Japaenese family name. 小浜 equals to Obama. 小(o) means small. 浜(hama, bama) means beach. "A shanty on the small beach" is his name. Also Hussein sounds 布施院 in Japanese. 布施（fuse, ふせ) means "an offering" and this is a buddhist term. 院(in) means "a temple". "A shanty temple called Fuse-in on the small beach". Very Japanese aspect in his name. :-)



It seems I still fell not well. I have to sleep.



Have a nice week.



It is a photo of 血の池地獄(Chino ike jigoku, blood hell pond) in Oita prefecture.