Lessons and Suggestions for Our New Revolution Era

2011 is ending. This year will be remembered as one of the worst years in the 21st century. And 2011 should have been a memorable year when Japan entered a new era. The northern-eastern earthquake and Tsunami on 11 March 2011 have brought the conclusion of an era. We have been facing the biggest change since World War II since the day of the disaster.

We have many natural disasters and overcome them. However, the 3.11 disaster was not only a natural one but included the worst destructive accident, a nuclear meltdown. That was a human-caused accident, because the tragedy could have been avoided if the nuclear plant itself have not existed there. And the recent report revealed that TEPCO employees’ lack of knowledge and technology was one of the causes of the meltdown.

After the Chelnobyl explosion, some scientists predicted that the same accident could occur in Japan, submitted/published simulation reports, and suggested to stop all the nuclear plants, but Japanese government ignored them.

Soon after World War II, Japan had Recovery Era full of hope and succeeded in the economic recovery. However, too rapid and unbalanced development have brought severe confusion. The boom completely ended long years ago before the 1980s and we have been in the long Stagnation Era since then. Many issues have been caused and some had been resolved but some have been left and even not recognized.
The 3.11 Earthquake and Tsunami was an inevitable natural disaster. But the nuclear plant accident could have been avoided if the government had received the scientists' suggestions. Their ignorance about nuclear issues was one example of bad results from unbalanced growth after World War II. And unfortunately enough, we have experienced the worst case.

We should never stay in the same stagnation. We have to change our culture itself drastically. Due to so many failures, we have lost confidence in the government. However, some brave efforts have been done by local governments, enterprises, individual groups, etc. Their contribution has taught us that we can do anything by ourselves. We must conclude the Stagnation Era and start a new Revolution Era to survive safely and hopefully.

For about 10 months after the 3.11 disaster, I have learned a lot. I have three suggestions for Japanese ordinary people, including myself, for living in a new era.

1. Don't depend on others. Seeing the series of actions and attitudes by the Japanese government, we have got to know that we can't expect them to do anything, anymore. The myth that Japan is a peaceful and safe country has been broken. We have to start by considering by ourselves.

2. Try to get and tell the truth. We have many options to get and communicate information. Although it may be hidden or distorted, we have to pick out the truth. Utilize all the available technology to achieve this and learn hard to gain the intelligence and ability to get the truth.

3. Take action by oneself with intelligence. And collaborate with the most reliable individuals and groups. Action without intelligence is rather dangerous. Intuitive actions may be always welcomed if it comes out from intelligence.

2012 will come soon. I wish the coming year will be the real starting year of a new Revolution Era. And during the short days left in 2011; the ending year of the Stagnation Era, I will try to review and criticize Japanese history after World War II to really conclude the old era.

Let's Take Actions by Ourselves!

I was impressed by the article of The New York Times, “Citizens’ Testing Finds 29 Hot Spots Around Tokyo”, reminds me that we are still in a serious situation caused by the March 11 disaster. From this article, we can find the situation had not become better and no issues have been fundamentally resolved yet. Reading this interesting story, I had three opinions in my mind.

First of all, actions with our own consideration are important especially in case we can’t rely on the government or leaders of the organizations we belong to. I respect the citizens’ group who tested the radiation level by themselves. From many failures and unfavorable attitudes, we are completely disappointed at the government. We can’t trust it anymore. When we know the government’s impossibility, we don’t have to wait any more. We have to take action by ourselves and we can do that.

Second, the writer mentioned that the main Japanese media ignore the data shown by such research and do not inform in articles. If that is true, we can’t trust the Japanese media, either. I know some shocking data about radioactive cesium in some area by TV news. So I believe the Japanese media does not completely ignore the truth. But if there are more data to be informed and ignored by the major media, and the government, we have to find the important data by ourselves. To maximize the antenna sensibility, we have to take notice of foreign media like this New York Times, Websites of individual experts and citizens’ groups, etc. Even if we are not the type to take action by ourselves as I recommended above, we can start to collect information.

Third, in this era full of danger and lack of reliable government, enterprises should be powerful leaders to overcome the difficult situation. They should support independent challengers, like the groups mentioned in this article, both economically and technically. Contributing to the society will be also beneficial to enterprises themselves, because social needs are tips for innovation and can bring new business.

Summary of the New York Times article: Citizens’ Testing Finds 29 Hot Spots Around Tokyo (October 14, 2011)

The accident of Fukushima nuclear plants, caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, were the world’s second worst nuclear disaster after Chernobyl. Since the accident, Japanese people have been exposed to danger and threatened by the fear of nuclear contamination. Many scientists insist that radiation from plants is contaminating a larger area than expected, and causing serious effects on human health. However, the Japanese government and local officials don’t have a sufficient plan to check the radiation situation for the area farther than 160 miles from the disaster zone. In this situation, some individual experts and citizens’ groups conducted research by themselves.

One of these citizens’ groups in Tokyo tested the level of radioactive cesium and found 20 hot spots within their community. Some of the results shocked them, showing the same level of contamination as Chernobyl. After the test, a member of this group decided to move his family to Okayama, about 370 miles to the southwest, because he discovered a high contamination level at the baseball field where his son played, with a risk to damage cells and lead to cancers.

These results suggest that hot spots are more widespread than originally imagined. Doctors and scientists indicate radiation’s bad effects for human health and blame the government for their lack of information about radiation levels. However, Japan’s relatively tame mainstream media mainly ignored their findings and the government did not provide any effective solution.

What should the government to do the change/reform TEPCO and the government’s own nuclear energy policies?

After the 11 March 2011 disaster, we have focused on the government’s and TEPCO’s nuclear energy policies. And after all, we are completely disappointed at them because of their indecisive attitude and information delay. We still feel that we are in serious danger of radiation emitted from the nuclear power plants. And our anxiety is increasing day by day because we cannot trust the government.

Their explanation about how radiation will affect us is still ambiguous. And moreover, they failed to tell the truth that the power station had melted down. In addition, TEPCO's solution for compensation to citizens damaged by the corruption of power stations seems to be too complicated to apply although quick rescue is critical for them. Due to a lot of failures, like the above examples, we have completely lost confidence in the government and TEPCO.

They have the responsibility to clear our anxiety in nuclear energy issues. So I would like to suggest that they reform their policies. I hope they will focus on the below three priorities: 1) Information Clarity; 2) Sufficient Compensation; and, 3) Scientific Innovation.

First of all, they have to tell us correct information as soon as available. And all analysis has to be based on the correct data. We do need realism but optimism to live normally and safely.

Second, the serious situation of citizens in nuclear affected area near the Fukushima power plants is reported since the disaster and the delay of compensation is unveiled. TEPCO and the government have to work for their remedy. In my opinion, they have to make some self sacrifice to keep the financial resource.

And the third priority will be a long and hard journey. In the present situation, it is hard to get alternative to nuclear power. Complete reduction of nuclear power plants in Japan may not be so realistic in the recent phase. It needs a large scale of scientific innovation. I would like to suggest that the government establish scientific laboratories to invent new power. Japan must be the leader in this area as one of the most damaged countries by nuclear power. The laboratories have to collect many foreign scientists globally to create innovation for new power for the next generations.

Any More the Same Story !

When I used be a bridal singer, I sang hymns at wedding chapels almost every weekend. Wearing a long red gown, I enjoyed singing for beautiful young couples and prayed for their eternal happiness.

I belonged to a music agent as a professional bridal singer and sang at chapels in hotels, restaurants, or wedding centers with other singers, a bridal assistant, an organist, and a Protestant minister. During peak seasons, we worked at multiple ceremonies a day.

Singing the same songs almost every time, I didn’t get bored with these standard Christian hymns. But I often got bored with ministers’ speeches. For the first time to hear the speech, I was deeply impressed to weep. But from the second time, I got terribly bored because they always spoke the same story with the same voice, in the same tone, at the same speed.

From this experience, I learned that the charm of the content was being unique. However, ministers to the musical agent are not blamed for their lack of uniqueness. Because even if their speech is not unique for singers, but always unique for wedding couples.

One day, I had three ceremonies in the same chapel and I heard three different stories by the same minister. I felt respect for him and said; “He is great! He made three different speeches!”
But a colleague singer, one of regular members of the chapel, said; “I don't think so. He has only trree stories. That’s all.”

My brother has exceeded me!

My brother has exceeded me in all.

When he got a position to an associate professor of a national university, I decided to promote him from my “younger” brother to my “older” brother. I conferred him the title “Ani” and started to call him “Nii-san”. Both mean “an older brother” in Japanese.

Japanese lauguage has abundant vocabulary. If the abundant vocabulary violates my secret, can I tell a lie to protect my personal information?

Japanese has independent words for older brother, younger brother, older sister and younger sister. In other words, when we mention our sibling, we show up the gender and older / younger. Such abundance of Japanese badly violates my personal information, as the age, my top secret, is revealed. When I say “Ototo (=my younger brother), listens get to know I am older than him. Actually, my brother’s age is opened in his books and on his university’s Web site.

That is why I call him “Nii-san (=my older brother)”.

I hesitate to tell a lie but really hope to protect my secret. Can I tell a lie in such cases? As Japanese is not only language with such abundant vocabulary, we have to seriously consider this theme.

My brother did not hesitate to be called “Nii-san” by me at all.

“Because my mother said imagine she is not your older sister, but younger sister. Imagine that you are Nii-san but Ototo”

 

I Loved Wires.

After several years experience as a freelance writer/translator/singer, I came back to the IT world.

On the first day at my new office, I was shocked at the drastic change of IT environment. Due to recent technical improvement, business world had already entered the wireless era.

Where are wires, my favorite items? I found only few wires and cables around my desk. And they all are connected to their right ports. I love such a clean office but prefer rather messy situation with many tangled wires. I am a tangled wires lover, almost a fetishist. I feel heavenly pleasure to untangle them. Such a complicated work really amuses my brain and fingers. I looked forward to work with tangled wires in an IT company again, but my dream had completely broken.

Many years ago when I used be an administrator to the CEO of a software company, I was known as an untangling expert and many technical staff came to me with lovely tangled wires. They thanked me so much because they had no time to do such a complicated technical work.

One day the CEO and technical staff said to me after my successful untangling,
“Can you also untangle tangled human relations so well?”
“No, I rather like to tangle up them, ha, ha, ha!” I answered. No one laughed.
However, in this wireless world, I may have to brush up this advanced untangling skill for human relations.

Beautiful Boys in Greek Mythology

They are beautiful boys in Greek Mythology and an actual boy in Ancient Greek, Alkibiades, Socrates' lover, the undermost image.

I think they are similar to Johnny Wear, a figure skate athlete, or might it just be me ?



Hyacinthe



Hermaphroditus



 
Ganymēdēs



 
 Attis



 
Alkibiádēs


 

Imagine you have vitality!

Vitality never “takes.”  You have it or you haven’t it, like health or brown eyes or honor or a baritone voice.   --F. Scott Fitzgerald



Fitzgerald wrote that in his essay "the Crack-up".

As I read this essay, he once had been full of vitality but was gradually exhausting and losing it.


I agree that "vaitality never takes" and wonder what can we do when we exhaust it.

But now, imagine that we have vitality. If you suppose you don't have it like Fitzgerald's health or brown eyes, life is so hopeless. As an enthusiastic Optimist, I believe that if I imagine I have vitality, it will be born from yourself.