The Week of Unprecedented Upsets: From Kamala Harris to Governor Saito

 Just one week after Kamala Harris suffered a crushing defeat to Donald Trump and the global media’s fervor failed to contain Trump’s momentum, leaving the world disheartened by Harris’s loss—another shocking twist unfolded, this time in the heart of Japan, in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture.

The protagonist of this political drama? Former Governor Saito, who staged an unexpected comeback to reclaim the governorship of Hyogo Prefecture.

Saito first began making headlines back in September. Scandals involving allegations of misconduct, from brazen demands to workplace harassment, became the talk of the town as they dominated TV screens and news outlets. The stories painted an increasingly grim picture of his behavior, leaving viewers with little more than a sense of discomfort and disdain.

Matters escalated further when the tragic suicide of the former Nishiharima bureau chief, who had blown the whistle on internal misconduct, thrust the controversy into darker territory. This culminated in an unprecedented unanimous vote of no confidence against Saito in the prefectural assembly, leading to his dismissal from office.

Yet, defying all odds and public expectations, Saito not only ran for re-election but secured an overwhelming victory, gaining even greater support from the people than in his previous election and leaving his closest rival in the dust. The nation was left utterly stunned, struggling to comprehend this extraordinary turn of events.

So, in the end, what was the essence of the “Saito Theater”? Was it a tale of redemption, defiance, or simply a testament to the unpredictability of politics?

What has he achieved?

After Donald Trump met Kim Jong Un, what has he achieved?

At first, Trump played down Kim Jong Un ‘rocket man’ because Kim shot many ballistic missiles from North Korean Peninsula to intimidate the neighboring countries including Japan and even U.S.
Eventually he changed his attitude toward him because Kim
promised to meet him.

For Donald Trump, meeting with Kim Jong Un has brought very
big impact on mid term election for U.S. president because
it was the first time that an incumbent U.S. president met with
a North Korean leader officially.

Their meeting was memorable, however there was not so much achievement from the meeting.

Typhoon Jongdari

I’m not the professional weather forecaster but amateur blogger, however I have a wide variety of topics that cover

natural disaster around us these day. Therefore I’ve uploaded the topic  related to coming typhoon. 

The Jongdari, the 12th storm of the year is taking unusual turn to the west for the two reasons. 

First one is that, cold vortex is staying in the southern coastal part of the Tokai region, the said vortex is rotating counterclockwise and it draws the coming typhoon near because it rotates in the same direction.

The other factor is its because of the high pressure covering from Korean peninsula and northern east part of Japan, which impeded the typhoon from going to northern east direction, these two elements caused the abnormal course of typhoon this time.

We hope affected people who live in Chugoku region will be

able to minimize the damage from the coming typhoon.

Summer of 2018

This year we have the most bitter summer in these decades. Stranded low pressure in southern west of Japan poured huge amount of rain especially in Chugoku regions two weeks ago.
The residents who lived in Hiroshima experienced deadly landslides and floods. In this region, more than 200 victims were affected by terrible natural disaster. Especially in Hiroshima 68 residents of total 200 casualities were killed by the catastrophy.
The scale of the calamity was beyond our imagination this time.
The rivers that have never been over flood were inundated at many places, consequently more than 5,000 houses were destroyed by the large scale disaster. 

What was worse, due to the destruction of infrastructures, such as sewage, pipline for fresh water were also devastated, water shortage affect the restoration of the aftermath.

Furthermore, heat wave also bring more burden for affected people because they suffer from poor water supply. We strongly hope that affected people will recover from disastrous situation.





Hiioshima experienced terrible landslides 4 years ago, which deprived almost 100 lives in northern west of Hiroshima. Even though sun shined after the torrential rains, the wild pond on top of some mountain collaposed, cosequentlly it caused another unexpected flood on sunny day. The unexpected flood ruined the affected region again.

Is the burning issue really over?

The suicidal blazes that happened in Shinkansen last week left traces in Japan, where the public safty is said to the best in the world. We've never heard this kind of shocking news in related to Shinkansen. In this accident, more than twenty passengers were injured and one passenger died from suffocation. Compared with other middle east countries, the suicidal burning this time is not related to terrorist attack. The cause of incident was about the self distruction.

The man who commited suicide was  in deep debt. He didn't have enough money to pay for the rental fee for his apartment. He told his local official, who was in charge of social walfare service,  that he doesn't want to live any more because his pension is not enough to support did his daily needs  and especially with monthly payment. He reached deadlock in his life and consequently he bought one way ticket to the demolition with collateral damage.

In my opinion, this is just the tip of iceberg. According to the survey done by the Japanese Healthcare and Labor Ministry in 2013, it said that 62.4% of the families felt their lives were very tough due to the consumption tax hike from 5% to 8% in 2013. Many citizens who start to complain about thier hardships gradually increasing increasing now. If these random suicide recur at public transportation or public place, ordinary citizens may become victims again. We should make safety net that can save the poor people to extinguish burning social alienation issue.

Business trip to Germany

After I arrived at Zurich airport, taxi driver who held a paging board written in my name, picked me up and took me to my hotel.

In my frist and second days, I stayed at hotel which was located in a In my frist and second days, I stayed at hotel which was located in a very small town 'Gaijingen'.   

After I arrived at Zurich airport, taxi driver who held a paging board written in my name, picked me up and took me to my hotel.

In my frist and second days, I stayed at hotel which was located in a In my frist and second days, I stayed at hotel which was located in a very small town 'Gaijingen'.   

Asahi Shinbun should have responsibility for twisted information about comfort women issue.

South Korean comfort women during WWⅡ issue was fabricated by Japanese media "Asahi Shinbun," which severely has undermined and afflicted the Japanese cultural value globally for more than 30 years.

Asahi Shinbun has already lost its social responsibility which is to broadcast the news publicly.

South Korean President Park Kunhe, whoes father built a great empire of exporting their prostitute to the world,  persistently insisted that Japan should have responsibility for mistreating South Korean prostitutes like slaves.

The relationship between Japan and South Korea will never be restored at least these 1000 years. While the Japanese embrace forgiveness, the South Koreans embrace grudge. In Hangul, ‘han' means against neighboring country.

It is very reasonable to shun each other forever.

Large scale landslide happened in Hiroshima

This time I decided to restart my blog again.
I neglected to be updated my blog these days because I was too busy to concentrate on my new assignment in my company. Instead of refreshing my blog, I organized my English circle more than
60 times. We've held our activity for more than three years.

My blog restarts!!

I finally decided to update my blog because I felt that I needed to overcome my laziness.

These day our world seems to be similar. Politics especially in developed countries have been mired in chaotic situation. I worry about the agreement of the debt ceiling issue in the U.S. 

In Japan, I think that our ecconomic power also lack mommentum to revitalize Japanese economy.

I will keep on looking for the answer through my global communication.

中国の主張

アメリカのアメリカ以外の国に対する民主主義

原発と日本文化

第18回Global English Musashinoのご報告

先週第18回Global English Musashinoを開催しました。

回を重ねるごとにメンバーが増えて、本当にうれしい限りです。

現在会員登録数が13名、レギュラー会員の人が10名前後です。

構成メンバーも海外勤務をしてリタイアされた方、外資系企業で

働かれているサラリーマン、東北のボランティア活動で尽力されたり

したNGOで活躍されている方、FENでひたすらボキャビルを重ねてきた

強者等、年齢層も26歳から70歳前後とバリエーション豊かでいつも楽しませて

頂いております。時にはもっと面白いねた出せとか進行の仕方がわるい

とか、サークルなんで許してください。。。と言いたくなる場面も

ございますが、心を鬼にして10名前後の手厳しい参加者の方々を

リードしております。

先週話したテーマについて何回かに分けて触れさせて頂きます。

読みながら勉強になる内容にしたいと思いますので頑張ります。

取り扱ったテーマですが、Japan Timesからの原発事故報告会の要約と

それに関して用意されて質問に対してどう思うかをディスカッションしました。

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120906f1.html

原発事故の反省を踏まえて、何に問題があったのかをまとめたレポートだ

そうです。会員の方にご用意を頂きました。この記事が奥深いところは、

結局、組織構造・文化の問題と指摘されながらも、新たに組織化された

組織の人事は不透明だったとあり、結局は何も変わらないのではという

余韻を残す内容でした。

Blog 再び再開！！

5月24日以来投稿を再開いたします。
英語でエレガントな内容を伝える事にフォーカスを今まで当てていましたが、そうすると
なかなかいい内容のことが浮かばなかった時にブログを開きにくくなり、
ブログ不精になる事がなんとなく分かりました。

あんまり、肩に力を入れなくてもかける内容のことをとりあえず書いていこう。
そう決心してふたたびブログを再開。今まで見たいにいい内容のことを思いついたら
英語で書き込んでしまいます。

このブログに書いていく中心のテーマです。色々と壁にぶつかりながらとんがった頭を
丸くしていく(体形のことをいっているのではありません)。

私事ですが、最近力を入れていること。新しく変わった仕事もそうですが、趣味の延長で
始めた英語学習サークル「Global　English Musashino(GEM)」を立ち上げました。

これからブログを中心に活動の内容、もしくは一日で感じたグローバルなトピックについて、
書き込んで行きたいと思います。

実を言いますと設立が昨年の9月25日で、一年を越えました。活動自体は隔週で
やっているのですが今まで18回の活動を行っています。会員規模は13名に拡大しました。
あんまり増えてもさばけないので、部屋の規模、サークルのベストな雰囲気を考えて20名まで
募集をしてみようかなあと考えています。オンラインのサークルも出来たらいいなぁと構想を
練っています。

何故このサークルを立ち上げようと思ったかといいますと、究極的には２つありました。
1．まずは自分の生活圏内で英語が出来る人を集めていずれは英語のディベート大会に参加したいと思ったこと。
2．英語でディスカッションできる場を作り、自分の狭い視野を広げてGlobalな考えを育てたい。

こう思ったのが立ち上げた理由です。
Facebookサイト｢Global English Musashino｣も立ち上げましたのでぜひいいね宜しくお願いします。

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Global-English-Musashino/238909249495378

Cebu島への旅

セブ島への旅

行く前の自分の気持ちを例えていうなら、こみ上げる衝動を抑えられず、旅立ってしまった、Bashoさんの様な感じでした。

月日は百代の過客にして 
　行き交う年もまた旅人なり 
　船の上に生涯を浮かべ 
　馬の口とらへて老いを迎うる者は 日々旅にして旅を栖とす 
　古人も多く旅に死せるあり。
予もいづれの年よりか、片雲の風に誘はれて、漂泊の思ひやまず、海浜にさすらへ、去年の秋、江上の 破屋にくもの古巣を払ひて、やや年も暮れ、春立てる霞の空に、 
　白河の関越えんと、そぞろ神の物につけて心を狂はせ、道祖神の 
　招きにあひて取るもの手につかず、ももひきの破れをつづり、笠の緒付け替へて、三里に灸すうる 
　より、松島の月まづ心にかかりて、住める方は人に譲り、杉風が別墅に移るに、 
　
草の戸も住み替はる代ぞ雛の家、

表八句を庵の柱に掛けおく。

社会人になってから、ひたすら仕事に走り続けて15年。新たな転機を見つけて次の会社に移るまでの数日間、ふと日常の忙しさのあまり、忘れてしまっていた探究心が蘇り、そぞろ神にさそわれてしまい、国境を越えてCebu島を目指そうと、今じゃなきゃ出来ない事をしようと決心してしまいました。家こそ売り払いませんでしたが、周りの了解(うちの奥様、近所に住む義理のご両親、うちの子)とそれはそれは白河の関と同じくらいか知りませんが、大変な通過点でした。

行きたい思いをきちんと伝えて、皆さんにご納得頂き、思い立ったら吉日とばかりにさっさと行ってしました。

Let's think globally again!!

しばらくお休みしておりましたが、再び再会します。 英語でひたすら書く事にこだわっていましたが、物凄く時間と労力がかかるので、 英語と日本語版をこだわりなく、無理せずUPする事にしました。 これによって、記事も増えると思います。 頑張ってGlobalなTopic頑張って書き込みます！！

最近はまっている事それは、今年1月から立ち上げた英語学習サークルの運営です。
名前は、

団体名は「Global English Musashino」と言います。

JR中央線沿線のＪＲ武蔵境駅(新宿から電車で約20分)の場所に徒歩3分の場所にある武蔵野プレイスという場所で活動を行っております。

立ち上げた時は3名ではじめましたが、現在固定メンバーで7名くらいで時事英語のDiscussionを主に行っております。

会員の方のレベルは大体ＴＯＥＩＣ730点くらいですかね。

通訳養成学校のサイマルアカデミーで3年間学習をしてきたノウハウを応用してMaterialの作成から準備まで行っています。

皆前向きな方が多いので会も毎回盛り上がって楽しいです。

盆栽を育てる感覚でこのサークルをどんどん拡大したいと思います。

New journey for growth

Rebirth from the disaster

Supporsedly most of Japanese gave affected
people and victims at 14:46 today.

Will this crystal give us bright future?

Will the search ship 'Chikyu'Chikyu, an about 56,700-ton deep-sea drilling vessel, bring hope from deep under the sea? We are waiting for the result of the prospective trial, drillng the hopeful crystal 'Methane hydrate'. The trial project has started at about 70km off the south east region around Atsumi Peninsula, Aichi prefecture.

People in Japan strongly hope that the icelike methane will become the "next generation" energy for Japan.

Methane hydrate was discovered only a few decades ago, and little research has been done on it until recently. By some estimates, the energy locked up in methane hydrate deposits is more than twice the global reserves of all conventional gas, oil, and coal deposits combined. But no one has yet figured out how to pull out the gas inexpensively, and no one knows how much is actually recoverable.

We hope that government and project team establish lauicelike methane as conventional energy.