It's been 8 years since FUKUSHIMA 3.11

  Munesuke Yamamoto is a photo journalist whose works are mainly of the memories of wars, the people in the destroyed countries in Middle East, and so on. Fukushima nuclear disaster is also his important theme. He lives in the neighboring town to ours, and is acting in the citizen group for peace. I am happy to have him as one of our friends Recently he published a new book, which was made of his photos taken in Fukushima and poems of a poet who lives in Fukushima.

The poet made his family flee to an unpolluted town after the accident and now he lives in Fukushima alone. He began writing poems after the disaster, and doing an activity to invite the children from Fukushima to a summer camp in Sado Island, so they can play outdoor.  His poems are written in the dialect of Fukushima, which sounds so warm and sincere. They are simple but move us with sorrow, anger, irritation, and sympathy of the people of Fukushima.

Yamamoto’s photos and the poems are making great pages together, and we can understand both much more. The title of the book is “Najo sube?”, that means “ What should we do?” or “What can I do with this?” in Fukushima dialect. From the word we can see the deep anguish and dismay of the people.

Do You Want to be a 'Ninja'?

  Some years ago I happened to chat with a young man from Middle America on a plane. He said he was going to Japan to learn “ninjutsu”. He said, “Only Japanese don’t know, but ninjutu is very popular martial art all over. There is a famous training place and a great master in Chiba. Many people are learning it there.” I was surprised to hear it.  Are you serious? A freak? I have known ninjutsu only in stories and manga. 

  The word ninjutsu means ‘ the arts to do espionage secretly. In the stories I read when I was a child ‘ninja’ ,the people who did such arts appeared suddenly from nowhere, disappeared with smoke, crossed the moat unfound, disguised at once, threw small knives in chain. Later I learned a little more reasonable facts; they were the people who served the lords as spies or messengers. They usually inherit their arts as families or tribes. I have read stories in which they run so fast in the dark mountains, or creep in the houses and overhear the conversation from under the floor or on the ceiling. They could have killed someone. 

  I know there are some ninja houses, but they are mostly for children, and they can enjoy some tricks and costumes there. But ninja school for adult people? What are they learning there?

By the way judo and karate are different from ninjutu. They are real martial arts, now admitted sports, but very effective, at the same time dangerous.