Trump Wins the Nobel Peace Prize??? Thank You Abe!

  Have you heard the news that Tramp was recommended as a Nobel Peace Prize Winner? What? Is it a black joke? No. Japan’s Prime Minister Abe wrote a beautiful five pages letter to recommend him, Trump said.  Abe didn’t deny it saying, “President Trump is working hard for the world peace, especially the issue of North Korea.” We suspect the United States asked or ordered Abe to work for the nomination of Trump.  Abe is a servant of Trump, as you know, so he did as he was told to do.  What a shame!

 

  Talking about the Peace Prize, The Prime Minister of Japan, Eisaku Sato won the one in 1974, for his effort for the return of Okinawa and the principle about nuclear weapons. But later both reasons proved false; Japan paid money to America for Okinawa. It was a secret treaty. One reporter of a newspaper scooped the fact, but the government and the Power crashed and ruined him. I remember it. About nuclear weapons Sato declared that Okinawa came back to Japan without them. It was also false. The document was found in his house after his death. The US didn’t remove the nuclear weapons from Okinawa, as we guessed.       

 

   I have just read a novel named ‘Hero’s Island’. The story is about Okinawa from 1952 to 1972, which was injured from the war and humiliated by the occupation. But the people are beautiful with its vivid dialect. You learn the history and the circumstances of Okinawa from the story. It got a popular prize recently, and became famous. It is very good for many people who don’t know about Okinawa to read the story and like it.

In Okinawa they are voting about the new US marine base now though the government and the LDP have been trying to prevent it. And the government says “We will continue building the base regardless of the result.”  I am so ashamed we can not eliminate this government.       .

I'm So Sorry

　I often feel ashamed to be a Japanese citizen.

  Korean High Court ordered a Japanese company to pay damage to the forced laborers from Korea while Japan ruled it. Immediately Japan government and most of the media appealed against it, saying, “The treaty about compensation is over between two countries.” “It’s against the international law.” They never show any apologies or sympathy. And more hate to Korea.

I have heard and read about the people who were taken to Japan from the streets or fields, or had to come to Japan to make living. Many of them were forced to work so hard like slaves in the mines or munitions factories. Those companies made a huge profit and thrive even now. In my prefecture there are many sites those people worked, building a dam, making weapons, and so on. One of them is a cave excavated in the mountains. It was intended to be a shelter for the Emperor and his family, and the General Headquarters. They could be safe even if cities and towns were burnt down and citizens were killed. It was not actually used but we can learn a lot from it.   

 First of all, we have to apologize those people who had hard time and were infringed their human rights. But many of us don’t know, or don’t want to admit the facts Japan did to the other people. One of the worst is Abe.

I am so sorry to the people who suffered from brutality of Japan. I would like to live together with respect each other.  And I promise I will do my best to make this country a little better one for you and also for us, I hope you know that there are Japanese citizens who are feeling like me, not so many but not only me.   

Sixy Artists' Wish for Peace

   We are having an art exhibition of sixty artists for children’s books. They belong to an organization of those who concern with children’s books, which wishes peace maintaining article 9 of Japan’s constitution.

   The organization says, ’We know children’s smiling faces and their crying faces as we  make children’s books, so we want to prevent Japan go to a warlike nation. We know there are starving children and injured children with mines on the earth we live.’ We wish all the world without wars.’

   We can see sixty different paintings with sixty different messages. Some are very cute, some very serious, and some humorous. Every painting expresses the artist’s idea or desire for peace.  Children who visited the exhibition know some of the characters in the paintings and look happy.

    One of the artist had a gallery talk and an autograph session yesterday. Her autograph was so cute and the people admired them. She talked how they cooperated, what they think about war and peace.    

 To the question “Why elephant?” the artist, whose pictures are very famous and popular among children, answered, “Elephants protect their children encircling them.” Some of the artists experienced the war when they were children They say no children should meet such a future. This artist drew a baby in peace under the cherry blossoms, a symbol of Japan.  

  We organized many events for peace, and the art exhibition is very impressive, and successfully open now.

Winter Never Lasts Forever

   It was proved that national statistics of labor and wages was false. The government has told us the wages is increasing thanks to Abe’s economic policy, but it was a lie. The wages was decreasing. This is not the first time they cheated us with false statistics.  Abe says the economy keeps getting better, but most people don’t feel so.  I always have to carefully check the price tags when I do shopping.

 

   Some official documents of the government were rewritten to hide the Prime minister’s injustice last year. One lower-level official killed himself from the agony to be forced to rewrite the document. But his bosses, high officials kept lying for Abe. Of course they got promoted. Good dogs can get rewards.

 

   Some days ago the news said the percentage of those supporting Abe Government increased 5 points. What? Why? He and his followers stir anger and fear for China and Korea. The best way for nationalism is to stir anger and fear. Look at Hitler. Look at Trump. Abe is learning from them. We are easy people to control.

 

   Some good news to tell you. In Okinawa the hunger strike was stopped by a doctor (I was relieved), but many people worked hard for the mutual agreement about the vote, and at last we expect all the people can vote. The government intends to obstruct the vote, but it is failing. This is democracy of Okinawa. I really respect the people of Okinawa.

   Today is SETSUBUN, the beginning of spring. It’s a little too early, everyone feel. But the day is getting longer, and the color of the sky is brighter now. We throw the beans out wishing happiness believing they make the evil run away. Winter never lasts forever. I found some pheasant’s eyes in my garden. The buds of Christmas roses are getting bigger.

 

 

 

 

Stand in the Freezing Cold. I'm waiting for Spring!

We stand to appeal for anti-war, anti-nuke, and anti LDP government at a busy crossing every Friday or Saturday. Everyone joins voluntary, on hot days, and on cold days. I really respect them. Last Saturday was 243^rd , in the freezing wind.

The man in the photo is one of the members. He seldom speaks, but writes funny, but sharp sign boards every week. The right one says “200 thousands signatures sent to the White House that appeal not to throw sand into the sea of Henoko, Okinawa”  The next one says” The busy dog that have to obey both USA and Russia” Of course the dog is our Prime Minister. The left one says, “A lie above the lie. Repeated lie. How scary.”  This must be about the government.  My favorite one is “Come out of the hiding place, dear first lady.” This was about the Prime Minister’s wife who caused a big problem about the government’s politics.  She should have testify in the congress, of course, but Abe refused and hided her. She is not the first lady.