Don't Buy Nuclear Plants From Japan

  Today is our younger grandson’s thirteenth birthday. His mother made a big cake, and he got many presents and phone calls. We enjoyed a card game he had got as a present.

 I really worry about the young people’s future, about environment, peace and war, human rights, and so on. I think we should do everything we can do for them, as we, the adults are responsible for today’s world  

 The news said that Japan’s nuclear business was frustrated everywhere; in Turkey, in England, in Vietnam…  Abe has tried hard to sell Japanese companies’ nuclear plants to those countries. (He works only for the big companies). I have thought,“ Do you buy the plant from Japanese companies, whose plant caused the disaster and still can’t finish the suffering?  Don’t do it.” The decision of those countries is proper, I think. Never go to the nuclear plant, I would like to say.

From the disaster in Fukushima we have really learned that we cannot control the nuclear and radiation, and we should not use it just to get electricity.

It has been almost eight years since the disaster, but the troubles are not finished The company and the country have tried many ways to solve the problems about the broken down plant but there is no successful one. They have to keep cooling the melted down reactor, and so they have more and more contaminated water including the groundwater that flows under the plant. There are so many huge tanks filled with the contaminated water all over the site, and they say there’s no more space. What they are planning is throwing the water into the sea!!!  Even now there are many people who  had to leave everything behind and refuge to another town, with no hope to come back.  

Abe declared,” The radiation is perfectly under control.” and invited the Olympics. He is a big liar but the Olympics will be held in two years. Abe and the government want us  forget the nuclear accident in the enthusiasm of the Olympics.           

20kg Pickles for Winter

  It’ was a warm, beautiful day today, but every morning we have heavy frost and mountains and fields are almost brown.. We are busy preparing to shut in for the winter. I pickled greens, radishes and Chinese cabbages. They are very important food in winter around here, and every family made them time ago. They say young people don’t make them today, and old women complain about it, but I, myself didn’t make them when I was working fulltime. I couldn’t give my own children healthy food without additives,though I can now give my grandchildren better food their parents can’t

   We are made of what we eat. Today most food contains many kinds of artificial additives, and isn't it scary? Some of the people are careful about it and choose better food. But usually organic or non chemical food is more expensive. Most young parents are not rich enough to buy such food, or do not have enough time to cook healthy food. If only rich people can available better food, it isn’t fair, don’t you think?

   Last week I visited Okinawa with my husband and some of our friends. I like Okinawa’s culture, its nature, and its people. We can’t see such a beautiful sea in any other places in Japan. Their music, dances, and art are fantastic. But we see barbed wire fences everywhere when we drive in Okinawa. They are surrounding the US Army bases, no, excluding the people of Okinawa. Now US Army and the government of Japan are making another huge army base there. The people are against it but the Power ignores it and keeps building the base. Is Japan an independent nation? Democracy is nowhere.             

 

Do You Believe In Young People?

What is freedom like? In Japan people don’t know, especially young people don’t know the answer, I feel. They also don’t know human rights.

They have been controlled since they were small by their parents, school teachers, customs of the society. They have never tasted freedom, I have to suppose. Some days ago I was surprised to see young mothers wanted their kids to be controlled with school rules. They must feel easier in the cage. I often hear that students prefer school uniform because they don’t have to think what to wear every morning.

People have to work so hard, and the Japanese word “karoshi”, death from too much hard work, is known in the world. The power of labor’s unions is very weak now, and young people don’t even know they have the right to make or join the union. When someone has any trouble, they think just he or she is responsible for it. How difficult to live in such a society.

 In Korea young people went out to the streets with candles and overthrew the president. Recently young people and women stood up against Trump in the U.S. But in this country we seldom see young people in the activities for freedom or peace. What is wrong? What was wrong?      

 I am sometimes too pessimistic. But it was a beautiful day today, and I joined the cultural festival of the town and sung. The name of the song we sang is “ I believe”. What a nice title!  When we give up, our dream will disappear.  

Pickles Might Be an Enemy of Women

 Most of the leaves have fallen in my garden and the autumn sunlight brightens the garden now. We have a lot to do before winter.

 My husband cut the firewood and brought it near the house. Today most of the people in Japan don’t use the bare fire to heat the house, but we use wood stove (also floor heating with kerosene), so preparing the firewood is an important work in this season.

 We have to harvest the vegetables for winter like turnips, Chinese cabbages, and many kinds of beans. People in this area make a lot of pickles in huge kegs, and enjoy all through the winter. Almost all the women of my age make great pickles.  I’m making dried sweet potato and dried persimmons which my family love as snacks.

 Today only old people living in country do these kinds of things. Younger people work so hard and they are living very busy lives. When they need some food, they just go to the supermarkets. Those old works are really time consuming. But as a retired person, I do such works enjoying the gifts from the soil and the sun.

  But on the other hand, those works might have shut the women up in the kitchen, I think. Even now many people think cooking, cleaning, and raising children are woman’s job. Women’s role is staying home and not talking about politics or other difficult matters. It’s a shame that Japan has only a few women leaders.       

 Pickle mi

On a Chilly Dark Day

　After the retirement I have been living a stress-less life. Yes, school teacher is a really stressful job in Japan. My headache, backache, and stomachache I suffered are gone. I am now enjoying chorus, hiking, handicrafts, and working in my garden.

  But recently I am feeling a little uneasiness. Are they all I want to do? Are they enough I should do?  I’m not talented. I’m not capable. But what should I do now?

  Probably my uneasiness is caused of some recent news;

 9000 people are walking from middle America to the USA through Mexico looking for jobs and safety. Leaving their home and everything behind, they have to walk to an uncertain goal. How hard! What is waiting for them is Trump!s troops at the border!         

  Trump’s loud, arrogant, selfish voice seems destroying rational, democratic, or peace loving world. And I see the fervent audiences behind Trump abusing everything he hates. And in many other countries people are welcoming Little Trump.

  Last Saturday I joined a gathering in front of the Congress House to appeal not to change the constitution, especially article 9, which declares we will never go to war.  Abe fanatically says he will change the article next year. This is the very crisis of peace and democracy. But the number of the people in front of the Congress House was less than 20 thousands.

   Democracy is so difficult to keep on. Hatred and selfishness infect easily.

  It’s chilly and dark day. I am too pessimistic today.