',Daily  Word,' Echoes 
 P.O Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463 Tel.  (052)794-6422 
   January  19, 1997 Number 55  '200 
(Essays submitted by listeners/readers on themes of "Daily Word" messages be-
tween October 1 and November 5,  1996. Corrected and edited by Clark Offner.) 
         *************************
October 1 Message (Subject #314)
     The theme is: a favorite author, 
book, magazine or newspaper along with 
the writer's explanation about why he or 
she likes that particular author, book, 
magazine or newspaper. 
 ************************* 
    For the last few years I've been  fas-
cinated with fables. They are pure, love-
ly and sometimes critical. Here I would 
like to write about four writers who are 
French, British and Japanese. 
   When I first read "The Little Prince" 
by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in an Eng-
lish translation, I was surprised to find 
that, to a large extent, it was intended 
for adults as well as for children. In this 
fable, a prince visited various asteroids. 
On the first one, there was a king who 
felt inordinately proud of being over peo-
ple and always gave orders. To him, all 
people were subjects. On the second as-
teroid lived a conceited man who loved 
to be admired. Next there was a tippler 
who drank in order to forget that he was 
ashamed of drinking. The fourth planet 
belonged to a businessman who was a  [-
ways counting and recounting his money. 
Then a geographer appeared who did not 
have a single explorer on his planet. Self 
ishness, greed, a desire for fame and so 
on are sharply criticized. I must confess 
that  I myself have many of these  charac-
teristics.  This  fable  stimulates  us to 
reflect on ourselves. 
   This year is the centennial anniver-
sary of the birth of Kenji Miyazawa. His 
fables reflect a pure conscience and love 
for others. Characters such as a scorpi-
on in "Night Train to the Stars", Budori i n 
"The Diary of Gusukho Budori"  am:Might-
hawk" are all personifications of Kenji 
and fulfill their duties faithfully. His 
remark, "I can never be happy unless all 
are happy", is impressive. 
   Nankichi Nhimi was born in Handa 
City in Aichi Prefecture in 1913. His fa-
mous work, "Fox Gon", is  more practical. 
Gon is both greedy and conscientious. 
This fable stimulated a warm feeling in 
me though Gon was accidentally shot 
dead at the end. 
   My favorite British writer is Oscar 
Wilde, whose fable, "The Happy Prince", 
is enchanting. The prince gave all his 
belongings to the townspeople, but  stir 
he was happy. This represents love for 
 others. along with self-sacrifice, which 
is found in the fables of Miyazawa, too. 
   So far, I've noted famous writers. 
On the other hand, I read an article in a 
newspaper about a man who received an 
award as a fable writer. In his fable, a 
fish made his fellows happy by giving 
them fine scales, but he also kept his 
own scales. Everybody, including the 
hero, became happy and satisfied. Ac-
cording to the article, this was a fable 
of a new type of modern age. I recog-
nized the meaning, but  I felt a little sad 
and somewhat disappointed. The ideas
---------------------[End of Page 1]---------------------
2 JANUARY 19, 1997
of Miyazawa and Wilde may not 
tical, but still they are most 
and fascinating to me. 
 (TOSHIYUKI KOTERAZAWA,
be prac-
attractive
Kasugai)
   Reading books concerning history is 
one of the three greatest interests of 
mine, together with model railroading 
and sumo-watching. I am interested in 
reading historical novels written by 
such authors as Shiba  RyotarO, Yoshiki 
Eiji and  Inoue Yasushi, who all deal with 
famous historical heroes. But, above all, 
what fascinates me most is ancient his-
tory, especially of our country. 
    My first contact with ancient his-
tory was through a book titled Uzumore-
ta Kin-in (The Buried Gold Seal), which I 
read in my high school days. An old Chi-
nese history book,  Gokan-jo, records that 
an envoy of a small country, Na, in  Kyu-
shu was given a gold seal on which was 
carved "King of Na" by Kobu-tei, an em-
peror of the Gokan Dynasty, in 57 A. D. 
About  17 centuries later, in  1784, the 
gold seal was discovered by chance in 
 Kita-KyOshu by a farmer. The gold seal 
is now designated a national treasure 
after many changes. Since the encounter 
with this book, I have read many books 
about our ancient history. 
   Needless to say, Kojiki and Nihon-
shoki are two great history books which 
we can value as messengers from an-
cient times. The books describe how our 
 country came into existence and how i t 
expanded as a state with a  tennei as the 
central figure. On the other hand, there 
are some old Chinese history books, be-
sides the above-mentioned  Gokan-jo, 
which depict the situation of our country 
in ancient times. Among them, Gishi-
wajin-den is the most famous and im-
portant. According to this book, more 
than 30 small countries, including the 
above-mentioned Na, were subjected to 
Queen Himiko of Yamatai-koku in the 3rd 
century. The Queen dispatched an envoy 
to Rakuyo, the capital of the Gi Dynasty
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
in 239. The book describes the location 
of Yamatai-koku, but it is very vague. 
Therefore, we cannot  surmise exactly 
where the queendom was located. Some 
scholars insist that it was in Yamato, 
the present Nara Prefecture. This con-
troversy is called the Yamatai-koku 
 rons6 (dispute). What bothers scholars 
is that the descriptions of the Kojiki or 
Nihon-shoki and the Gishi-wajin-den are 
not the same. The former apply to our 
own country, but fact and fiction are 
combined in them. The latter seems to 
be quite precise, but its information is 
about distant nations. Materials for in-
vestigation are all present. Everybody 
 can- freely draw inferences from these 
two types of source materials, relating 
them to each other and thus can imagine 
the state of affairs of our country in an-
cient days. 
   My collection of books on ancient 
history has reached a hundred volumes. I 
will be able to enjoy reading these 
books, availing myself of the abundant 
time I will have when I completely re-
tire from my work some day. 
      (MIKIHIKO YOSHIMOTO, Gifu)
   My favorite reading  material is 
Western history, especially during the 
medieval age. Recently I read books 
Number 1 to 3 about Montaine, translated 
by Yoshie Hotta. Another one I read is 
Die Vollendung Des  KOnigs Henri  Quatre 
by Heinrich Mann and translated by Hiro-
shi Oguri. One more I have read repeat-
edly is a volume of short stories by 0. 
Henry in English. I feel his compassion 
in them which we should not forget. Re-
cently, I have developed an interest in 
Chinese history because it is related to 
the Chinese poems I enjoy reciting. 
   I read the Asahi and  Chanichi news-
papers. The  Chanichi is more detailed 
and concerned about this locality. I do 
not read monthly or weekly magazines. 
   I could not understand much at all if 
I did not know the Bible--not only in
---------------------[End of Page 2]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997
regard to literature but also in regard to 
art and sculpture also. This is my experi 
ence. (MICHIKO SAND,  Minami, Nagoya)
   As a researcher in chemistry, I read 
many chemical journals and books at my 
office on weekdays. It's part of my job 
to keep up with developments in the 
field. If I didn't read these journals for 
six months, I might feel completely be-
hind in regard to advances made in chem-
istry. In addition to such academic pub-
lications, I read various kinds of books, 
magazines and newspapers at home. 
   One of my favorite authors is Bob 
Greene. He is a columnist for the  Chica-
go Tribune and has written more than ten 
books, including Be True to Your  School, 
Good Morning, Merry Sunshine,  American 
Beat and Homecoming. These books are 
composed of his diaries (the first two), 
essays (the third) and letters from read-
ers of his column and his comments (the 
fourth). I read his books in English, so I 
don't know whether he refers to himself 
as watashi, boku or ore in the Japanese 
versions.  I can't imagine that he speaks 
Japanese anyway. His books seem to have 
what it takes to be best sellers. He was 
born and grew up in a small town near 
Columbus, Ohio where I spent two years 
with my family as a post-doctoral re-
searcher. He sometimes writes about 
the city in his books. They remind me of 
our happy days there. I think that is one 
of the reasons why I like his books. 
   Another interesting book I have re-
cently read is  world  walk by Steven M. 
Newman. He started his walk around the 
globe from his home in Bethel, Ohio in 
April 1983 and returned there in  April 
1987. Since he sent reports to the Co-
lumbus Dispatch along the way, readers 
of the newspaper could share his experi-
ences during that period. Soon after the 
completion of his journey, my friend who 
lived in Columbus sent me a letter, in-
forming me that he had happened to meet 
Steven Newman in a shopping mall and
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
3
had a  chance.....  to talk with him. Then I 
knew he was preparing a book based on 
the manuscripts sent to the newspaper. 
His book was finally published in 1989. 
It was filled with heartwarming stories 
and adventures. He encountered not only 
many wonderful people, but also many 
vicious fellows. He faced many dangers 
in foreign cities and towns, in mountains 
and deserts. I believe everyone who read 
his book would think it is a miracle that 
he was able to return home safely. It is 
no exaggeration to say that he was often 
helped by God. I do not think his book 
has been translated into Japanese yet. 
Incidentally, I read a short article about 
him accompanied by his picture in the 
Asahi Shinbun that noted he started his 
walk across Japan from Hokkaido about 
eight years ago. I am very interested to 
know what happened to hirn_afterwards. 
   Beside nonfiction books, I some-
times read best selling novels such  as 
those written by Stephen King, Sidney 
Sheldon, etc. Reading books is not just 
killing time for me. It provides me with 
a very enjoyable time of traveling in a 
world of imagination as well imparting 
important information. 
(TOSHIAKI MIYAKE, Tsuzuki, Yokohama)
   I  like juvenile literature, such as 
 the "Pooh" stories by A. A. Milne. Since 
the  sixty-first anniversary of my birth, 
a marked tendency to read  books for chil-
dren has been evident. 
   When I was in my 20's,  1 read Le 
Comte de Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Du-
mas, during one summer vacation.  I got 
so excited that I stayed up late to read 
this long novel in two volumes in Japa-
nese. Especially, I cannot forget what 
Mercedes, the wife of Fernand who had 
been an enemy of Dantes Edmond, said to 
the Count of Monte Cristo, "Let's meet 
again there", pointing to heaven. And the 
words, "Wait, and be hopeful", remain in 
my mind. The novel was entitled  Gan-
kutsu-Oh in Japanese.
---------------------[End of Page 3]---------------------
4 JANUARY 19, 1997 
• 
   One of my favorite novels by a Japa-
nese author is Wagahai wa Neko de aru, 
by  SOseki Natsume. In this novel, what 
Kushami  Sensei and the people around 
him thought during the Meji Era in Japan 
is written from the  viewpoint of a cat. 
The cat's  companions also complained 
that "Human beings are so selfish, they 
don't respect the right of cats". 
   I don't subscribe to a daily news-
paper.  I read them at the bank when I go 
there. But I do subscribe to the Asahi 
Weekly periodical in English, which I 
began to read five years ago. It is very 
helpful in learning new words in English. 
It is also convenient for me because I do 
not have to hurry to finish reading it be-
fore the next issue arrives. I look up 
words in my English-Japanese diction-
ary, which I take with me everywhere I 
go. Dictionaries are the best reading 
material. 
   I sometimes read cookbooks at a 
bookstore to find a recipe for my daily 
meals. As I sometimes buy a book there, 
the clerk never scolds me for reading as 
if I were in a library. 
   Above all, I read the Bible when I 
don't know how to solve problems. It is 
true that the words and teachings of the 
Bible are more understandable than Bud-
dhist sutras. In order to give a talk at 
Church School, I read the Bible and ref-
erence books to try to  help pupils under-
stand God's will. In any case, it is the 
best reading material for our lives. 
     (KAZUKO TAGUCHI, Fukushima) 
   I was born in  KeijO (today's Seoul) 
and brought up there. I graduated from a 
grade school and a middle school before 
entering the preparatory course of  Keijo 
Imperial University in  1945 when the 
Pacific War ended. As Japan lost the 
war, all of  us Japanese were compelled 
to leave  Korea. After only four. months' 
experience as a student of that school, I 
tried to transfer to Matsue High School 
of the old educational system and,  for-
                                    t
              "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
tunately, was  admitted  after some brief 
tests. However, the circumstances of 
my daily life were extremely poor com-
pared to that in  KeijO. Food, clothes, 
writing materials and all other daily ne-
cessities were very limited. In addition, 
due to a lack of study time as a result of 
the confusion related to our withdrawal 
from Korea, my studying ability was 
much lower than that of my classmates. 
Suffering from the difficult situation, I 
was so depressed that I often became 
desperate. 
   In that situation, I came across a 
novel written by Doppo Kunikida, who 
was one of the main novelists of the 
Meiji era. The title of the book was 
Azamukazaru no Ki ("I'll Honestly Con-
fess"). The book consists of the writer's 
self-reflection about his deeds in his 
young days and his self-encouragement 
to overcome his painful experiences. It 
seemed very similar to my own situation 
in the desperate days after the war. I 
was instantly absorbed into the story 
which was quite understandable for me 
and provided both encouragement and re-
freshment for me. The book really res-
cued me from the depths of despair that 
I experienced at that time. Doppo Kuni-
kida is not so well-known as  Soseki Na-
tsume or Ougai Mori, but he is my favor-
ite and most respected author. 
    (HARUJI  FUKUMI, Minami, Nagoya) 
   As I noted previously, we have a 
weekly meeting for reading English 
books at our juku school. Two years 
ago, I was appointed to select an appro-
priate book for our group, so I went to 
the Maruzen Book Store in Sakae. There, 
the book by Paul Kennedy, Preparing for 
the  27st Century, caught my eye. 
   Paul Kennedy is the author of the 
 1988 international best seller, The Rise 
and Fall of  the Great Powers. It took us 
over two years to read through the 350 
pages of the book because we translated 
assigned portions by turns. What's more,
---------------------[End of Page 4]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997 
we had to be precise in our  _translating, 
line by line. The author takes up various 
topics. First, he emphasized the need to 
reduce the fertility rates in developing 
countries. If the present level is main-
tained, India may have the world's larg-
est population, 2 billion, in 2025, sur-
passing  that of China for the first time 
in recorded history. As a result, the gap 
between "haves" and "have  nots" will get 
wider and wider. Next, he considers the 
problems of extracting  water from aqui-
fers in the southern Great Plains, the de-
forestation of tropical rain forests and 
global warming which causes retreating 
coastal shorelines due to the rising sea 
level and so forth. 
   Since these problems are likely to 
continue in the 21st century, I think we 
had better attentively take  heed  of_  his 
warnings and try not to run down the 
slope of deterioration. Though this book 
was not easy to read, I think we reaped 
an abundant harvest after accepting its 
essential seeds of truth. 
          (SHOJI DOMAE, Kasugai) 
   I have subscribed to the Mainichi 
Shinbun in Japanese and the Daily Mai-
nichi in English for about two decades. 
The latter gives me more detailed news 
from all over the world. I am interested 
to know how foreigners view Japan and 
 what. they think of Japanese. 
   When I was young, I lived in Indone-
sia for about  fourteeh  years,  so I have a 
special concern for that country.  Suhar-
to has governed the nation for about thir-
ty years, but that is too long. There is a 
saying, "when the stream stops running, 
the water will go bad". His family mem-
bers have appropriated many national 
businesses. I still vividly remember 
when the Marcos family members had to 
leave their homeland. What will be the 
fate of the Suharto family? 
   From the beginning of  this year, 
once a week, both papers print "The  Let-
ter' from Burma" by Aung San Suu Kyi. I
          "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 5 
admire her beautiful sensitive sentenc-
es. Six years ago, her group won a land-
slide victory in the general election, but 
the junta government ignored the results 
and suppressed her group. I don't think 
the junta's illegal regime will last long. 
 When will her dream be realized? This 
is my second concern. 
   The other day, I bought a book, The 
Monk and His Disciples, written by Kura-
ta Hyakuro. It was my favorite book 
when I was young. I read it again and 
again and was impressed with it. Kurata 
wrote this book when he was only 27 
years old. He was taught by Nishida Ten-
ko,the leader of the religious group  ltto-
en. I once followed Nishida's voluntary 
movement, cleaning the graveyards in  I  n-
donesia. It seems there is a relationship 
among the Monk, Nishida, Kurata and me. 
 (TSUYOSHI HAMADA, Minami, Nagoya) 
   I am ashamed to be quite poor  i  n 
composing or appreciating poetry. An  i  n-
timate friend in my college days came to 
be interested in composing 31-syllable 
poems and has composed many good ones. 
Whenever I see her, I am always told 
about some poem she is enthusiastic 
about, but I cannot understand her very 
well and feel sorry for her. If I were 
like her, I could write down the names of 
some particular authors here, but I am 
sorry that I cannot do so. I can just say 
that I sometimes read some essays or 
novels and  enjoy' them very much. 
   More than half a century ago, when  .1 
was in high school, we were not so busy 
studying as students are today so we 
could spend much time reading books. 
Our teacher recommended that we try to 
read famous masterpieces, as many as 
possible, when we were young. He said 
that  they.continued to be valued because 
of their unfading worth while most of 
the popular books in those days would 
soon be forgotten. I tried to read some 
books written by Japanese writers and 
by foreign writers in Japanese transla-
---------------------[End of Page 5]---------------------
6 JANUARY 19, 1997 
 tons. Of course, they were too difficult-. 
for me to understand well, but I was 
deeply impressed with some of them. 
   I still remember a novel, entitled 
Under the Wheels, by Herman Hesse, a 
Swiss writer. It described the conflicts 
of childhood and  youth  in the provincial 
world of his native land. I spent much 
time reading through one novel, entitled 
The Revival of Gods--The Romance of 
Leonardo da Vinci, by Merezhkovski, a 
Russian novelist. 
   I married just after the end of the 
war and gave birth to two boys. In those 
days, we had to lead quite a poor, frugal 
life. My mischievous boys kept me very 
busy and I had to do almost all house-
keeping chores by hand and stayed up un-
til late, making clothes for my family. I 
had no time to enjoy reading books. I 
just tried to read those magazines use-
ful for housekeeping or helpful for rais-
ing children. Time passed. The boys 
grew up and left home. Then I came to 
realize that I was too ignorant of world-
ly matters.  I wanted to study sociology 
and philosophy and went to an institute 
for that purpose for a while, but I came 
to realize that the lectures there were 
too radical and left-winged, so I stopped 
attending. 
   As an old woman, I have seen the 
drastic change this country has experi-
enced these many years. She arose from 
the devastation at the end of the war and 
developed into the second world power, 
but now everything seems choked and 
stagnant. We are forced to try to break 
through this situation with all our might 
for the benefit of ourselves as well as 
for the rest of the world. I do not deny 
that Japanese are intelligent people, but 
we should remember that we are apt to 
prefer harmony among ourselves too 
much and to lose a criterion of justice 
and injustice. We need wisdom to dis-
cern what to improve and what to pre-
serve. Thinking about this problem, I 
like to read comments on current events
             "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
or on economics from various points of 
view and enjoy them very much. 
 (MICHIKO KAWAMURA, Meguro, Tokyo) 
   I read the Asahi Weekly. It is a way 
to keep from getting old. These days, I 
am becoming forgetful, but  in the "Let-
ters  Column" of Asahi Weekly, the con-
tributions from people my age or older 
put my mind at ease and encourage me so 
I think I  will continue reading  it at my 
own pace. 
   It is enjoyable to read colorful in-
troductions of such little known places 
as Cuba, Chile, the Channel Islands, etc. 
I try to read and understand as much as 
possible without using a dictionary. The 
articles are rich in content, interesting 
and written in short sentences. I espe-
cially enjoy reading the serialized novel, 
comics and English conversation using 
507 words. Sometime, I may be invited 
to the preview of a movie if I win a  lot-
tery prize. 
   By the way, I used to read The  Mai-
nichia long time ago, but I soon gave up 
reading it because it was too difficult 
for my ability. I hope to continue read-
ing the Asahi Weekly at my own pace. 
   (MIEKO OKUMURA, Mizuho, Nagoya) 
   My favorite newspaper is Asahi 
Shinbun. Every morning I start to read it 
from the first page. On busy mornings, I 
read only the headlines, but I never fail 
to read Tensei Jingo on the first page. 
As you know,  Tensei Jingo is related to 
daily events or happenings treated with 
some humor .and ideas of the writer, 
which  1 often agree with. The column is 
enjoyable to read as well as useful for 
providing topics of  conversation with my 
family or friends. 
   The other day, Kimiko Date, the  25-
year-old professional tennis player an-
nounced her retirement. Until reading 
the explanation given in this column, 
could not understand her feeling well 
even after listening to or reading an  in-
---------------------[End of Page 6]---------------------
 . JANUARY  19,  1997 
terview with her.  Tensei Jingo explained 
her retirement in relation to the retire-
ment of the 17-year-old Chinese high 
diver who won a gold medal in the Atlan-
tic Olympics. I realized once again that 
the time of retirement is a very impor-
tant choice for each individual and that 
retirements of young girls mean the 
starting point for pursuing other dreams. 
     (YOSHIKO TOYOTA, Kanie,  Aichi) 
    For the past few years, I have often 
read works by the acclaimed writer,  Shi-
ba  RyOtar6. What has deeply impressed 
me is his reflective remark on his own 
writings to the effect that many of them 
are nothing else than personal letters to 
himself. When World War  II ended in 
 1945,' he seriously wondered what 
caused his motherland to suffer defeat. 
What made those stupid leaders of the 
Japanese Imperial Army lead our nation 
to ruin? That question became deeply 
rooted in his mind. Since then, he has 
devoted  all his energy to finding an an-
swer. In the process, he has constructed 
a monumental edifice of literature and 
earned his reputation as a great writer. 
    Recently, I have been enjoying a ser-
ies of his essays carried in current is-
sues of the weekly magazine,  ShOkan 
 Asahi. Topics of the essays vary from 
issue to issue, but they are consistent 
with his basic position. Take the one i n 
the latest issue (October  18,  1996)  as an 
example.: Its theme is Confucian thought 
in  the. Edo era and Kusunoki Masashige, a 
warrior in 14th century Japan who  was 
acclaimed as the incarnation of patriotic 
loyalty to the Emperor before and during 
World War  II. Confucian thought pre-
vailed among Japanese scholars because 
the Tokugawa government recognized it 
as orthodox. While another school of 
thought, headed by  Ogyu Sorai, criticized 
the ideological bias of that form of  Con-
fucianism, the orthodox school highly 
esteemed Kusunoki Masashige, who gave 
his life for Emperor Godaigo. Tokugawa
         "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 7 
Mitsukuni was a celebrated example of 
that stream of Confucianistic thought, 
but later, a great enlightened scholar of 
the Meiji era, Fukuzawa  Yukichi,belittled 
the past hero as a mere employee who 
lost his life due to his misadventures. 
 In due course, the writer mentioned 
an episode of a student's interview with 
a contemporary scholar of Confucian 
thought of the Edo era, Dr. Kano Naoki. In 
answering a question about the cause of 
the downfall of Imperial Japan in World 
War  11, the scholar suggested that it was 
Confucian thought itself that led Japan 
to ruin. The writer noted his agreement 
by quoting the episode. His elaborate 
connecting of episodes into his line of 
argument is one reason for my admira-
tion.(SHOJI  SUG  IMOTO,Suginami,Tokyo) 
   First of all, before I write about my 
favorite book I'd like to mention that my 
favorite reading material is the "Daily 
Word" messages. Every day the messages 
not only give us various kinds of  infor-
mation to increase our knowledge but al-
so encourage us to lead a spiritually bet-
ter life.  In my case, the pleasure of  _sa 
vuing "Daily Word" messages comes 
twice a  day--first, when I listen to them 
and second, when I read them after lis-
tening. Although listening to the  mes-
sage helps us increase our listening com-
prehension, I find more advantages in 
reading them. For example, I can read at 
my own pace. Of course, I like Dr. Off-
ner's speaking pace, but when I read 
 themD)1 can repeat again and again the 
 impressive sentences or words of the 
day. And I can pause whenever I like in 
order to think more about certain pas-
sages. Many words which I couldn't catch 
or understand while listening appear in 
front of me with their correct spellings. 
I really hope this pleasure will continue 
as long as possible. 
   I have several favorite books, but  i  f 
I am told to choose only one, I must say 
that it is the book I myself wrote in my
---------------------[End of Page 7]---------------------
 8 JANUARY  19, 1997 
 younger days. When I was in my twenties 
 I was absorbed in the subject of the Silk 
 Road, especially igsgastrianism, and the 
 people who believed in it, so I read many 
 books or materials about them. When I 
was 24, I was able to make a trip to Cen-
 tral Asia with a famous folklore scholar 
and a photographer of a large publishing 
 company, visiting old Silk Road towns 
 and villages. Those areas are now  inde-
 pendent from Russia, but in those days, 
 they were included in the U. S. S. R., so  I 
 studied Russian at a school for one year 
 before making the trip. 
    The trip was really wonderful and 
 unforgettable. Upon my return, I began 
 writing about our travels in Central Asia 
 about its history, geography, culture, 
 races, religions, food, buildings and so 
 on, including amusing episodes that oc-
 curred during the trip. At that time, I 
 was working for a computer company and 
 the time to write was quite limited, so I 
,,took about one year to complete the book 
/I didn't have enough money to publish it, 
 but six years later, when I was working 
 for the Maruzen Book Company, I got a 
 chance to publish it at a reduced cost. I 
 was very happy and entitled it "Towns 
 Tearing  Chubicheika", which is an ethnic 
 cap  peculiar to those areas. 
    Usually, I read books simply for plea-
 sure or out of necessity, but some books 
 greatly, helped or encouraged me when I
was in need. Among those precious  .books 
was my own book, but, different from 
other encouraging books,  my book didn't 
help me by the content. The energy or 
passion which I had devoted to writing 
it, surprisingly, came back to me and 
cheered me up when I was depressed or 
lost my energy.  I never anticipated such 
a result when I was writing it, full of 
youth, .dreams and vigor. Now  I realize 
that as a reader grows or changes, ac-
cording to his or her age or experiences, 
books also begin to show their different, 
previously unrecognized aspects and that 
getting older increases the possibility
             "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
of discerning other unexpected faces of 
one particular book. 
(KIKUKO KUWAHARA,Nakagawa,Nagoya)
*************************
October 8 Message (Subject  #315)
    In the United States and Canada, 
this week is known as Fire Prevention 
Week. It is a commemoration of the 
disastrous fire that erupted in Chicago, 
Illinois  125 years ago today and has 
since been known as the Chicago Fire. 
The fire began in the  barn of Patrick 
O'Leary on Sunday evening following a 
hot, dry summer. By the time it was 
extinguished 27 hours later, it had de-
stroyed about  18,000 buildings over 
some 850 hectares of land, causing  al-
most  300 deaths and  $200 million in 
damages. Over  98,000 people were left 
homeless. On the same day, a forest fire 
destroyed the town of Peshtigo, Wiscon-
sin, leaving some 600  dead. The theme 
suggested for an essay is  "Fire". The dis-
covery of how to make fire was impor-
tant in the development of  civilization 
and some religions consider fire as di-
vine. According to the 3rd chapter of Ex-
odus,  God first spoke to Moses through a 
fire. Fire can be. used for both beneficial 
and  destructive'  purposes.  What uses have 
you made of it? What thoughts,  memor-
ies or ideas do you have related to it? 
 *************************
   My experiences related to fire: 
   1) It was at a wildlife sanctuary. 
Many animals were running about trying 
to escape to a safe  place.  I watched it 
nervously. 
   2) There was a fire at the supermar-
ket in front of our house. The road was 
wide and the wind was not blowing in
---------------------[End of Page 8]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997 
 _our direction. Many fire engines came 
and our parking space served as a tempo-
rary fire station. The fire was put out 
after one hour. 
   3) This event, which happened near 
our house, I don't like to remember be-
cause it was an insurance fraud making 
use of fire. A furrier planned it and took 
out high-priced furs to another place be-
fore starting the fire. I was astonished 
to read about it in the newspaper. 
   4)  I also experienced fires during 
the Second World War. At that time, I 
had nothing, but now I am living happily, 
except for problems that face Japan and 
the world. I have much to thank God for, 
including a peaceful life. 
   (I will not be able to write on other 
themes  in this issue of the Echoes  be-
cause I will have eye surgery. Although 
it is not a serious operation, I must rest 
my eyes afterwards. To all readers, I say 
"Take care of your health" and I hope to 
write for the next Echoes.) 
     (MICHIKO SANO, Minami, Nagoya) 
   Until 1989 I worked for a ceramic 
tile manufacturing company for thirty-
six years. The company is big now, but 
when I entered it, it was small, having a 
 family-like atmosphere. The president 
was a well-educated and warmhearted 
person. As a manager, he had a very 
unique  'custom. He used to present a 
birthday cake to employees and have a 
picture taken together with  :them on 
their birthdays after he invited them 
into his office. It was held during ten 
minutes of the rest time in the morning. 
After bringing the cake back home and 
looking at the candle fires lit on the 
cake, everybody who was presented with 
it felt delighted and cherished a deep af-
fection for him. Even now, whenever I 
see the fire on small candles, I usually 
recall  the president's warm personality. 
   On the other hand, I have some un-
pleasant memories of fire. Towards the 
end of the Pacific War, bombings by the
          "DAILY  WORD" ECHOES 9 
American bombers became increasingly 
severe. Most of the big cities were  swal-
lowed up by the disastrous fires caused 
by the bombings and many lives were 
sacrificed in the sea of fires. 
   We can find two kinds of fires here. 
The one related to a well-educated and 
self-restrained mind and the other to un-
educated and quite selfish minds. And 
they correspond, respectively, to heaven 
and hell. 
    (HARUJI  FUKUMI, Minami, Nagoya) 
   There are some ways by which hu-
man beings are distinguished from ani-
mals, and one of the most remarkable  i  s 
related to fire. Animals are afraid  of 
fire. Anthropoids, such as gorillas and 
chimpanzees, some of which are clever 
enough to communicate with men using 
an instrument, still cannot use fire for 
cooking or warming themselves. When 
our ancestors started using fire, they 
took the first step as human beings. 
   Even after our ancestors acquired 
the ability to make use of fire, it must 
have been the object of worship and awe. 
Hence, Zoroastrianism or Parsiism  was 
 generated. (The Japanese faith  in the sun 
is similar in origin.) When  I visited In-
dia last year, I had a chance to see 
chapel of a religion where fire was ac-
tually venerated as a divinity. Zoroas-
trianism was introduced into China in 
the 5th century and was called  KenkyO, 
but it never came to Japan. (Some schol-
ars insist, however, that there are some 
ancient traces of the religion in our 
country also.) 
   Human beings have improved the way 
of using fire throughout their long histo-
ry. Ancient people used firestones or 
rubbed a piece of wood with a metal 
stick to make fire. In my boyhood, we 
already had gas available in the kitchens 
of Tokyo homes. But when I moved to a 
rural district in Hiroshima, I was sur-
prised and disappointed to experience 
their life without gas. Not to mention
---------------------[End of Page 9]---------------------
10 JANUARY 19, 1997
heating the bath, boiling rice and a  I  I 
other cooking was done by a wood fire. 
Filling the bathtub with water from a 
distant well and heating it using a bam-
boo blower was hard work for a young 
teen-aged boy. In my house now, hot 
water flows to the bathtub and kitchen 
directly from an electric water heater 
just by turning on a tap. This would have 
been unimaginable fifty years ago. 
   Fire has complete changed human 
beings' life. It is indispensable for our 
civilization, for our cultural life, but, at 
the same time, fire is our enemy, des-
troying our civilized society. Fires have 
damaged a great number of houses 
throughout the world. This has been par-
ticularly evident in our country where 
houses were generally made of wood and 
paper. The city of Edo was often visited 
by disastrous fires during its prosperous 
periods. The famous Edo Hi-keshi (Fire 
Brigade of Edo) was instituted in order 
to cope with those fires and thus to keep 
public order. Once I worked for the Met-
ropolitan Fire Board as chief of the In-
specting Section. It was the section for 
inspecting houses and buildings for the 
purpose of fire prevention. Dr. Offner 
made reference to "Fire Prevention 
Week" in the United States and Canada. 
We also have a week for the same pur-
pose.  •During the week, I made an in-
spection tour of department stores, etc. 
in the uniform of a fire department offi-
cial. Of course, I had no technical know-
ledge. It was a sort of demonstration. 
Newspapers reported the event with a 
photograph of the scene, reporting that 
"Fire Prevention Week has begun". Now I 
feel a yearning for that time when I was 
ashamed of wearing the uniform and 
raising my hand in salute in public. 
       (MIKIHIKO YOSHIMOTO, Gifu)
   Among the annual events in Japan, 
there are quite a few that are related to 
"fire". The Fire Festival, called Dondo-
yaki, is held around January  14 or  15 at
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
many places in this country. People bring 
straw festoons or New Year's decora-
tions made of cuttings from pine trees 
and bamboo to a nearby shrine and make 
a bonfire. If one eats rice cakes toasted 
on  this bonfire, it is said that one will 
avoid catching cold during the year. 
   Another event heralding the arrival 
of spring is  .called  omizutori (water-
drawing ceremony). The sacred water 
which was sent from Wakasa, Fukui in 
the previous week reaches  T6daiji Tem-
ple in Nara on  March12  or13. In the early 
morning before dawn, young priests 
brandish huge burning pine branches on 
the terrace of the  NigatsudO Hall, draw-
ing circles of fire and shaking off sparks 
 and'embers on the people gathered there. 
People on whom the sparks are showered 
are said to be kept from evil influences. 
   As these examples indicate, some 
annual events in Japan are connected 
with fire. I suppose certain concepts 
regarding fire lie behind them. From my 
viewpoint, Japanese people utilize fire 
to purify or to keep something evil from 
their surroundings. We do not regard 
fire as the object of worship as the Zor-
oastrians of Persia did, but we try to ex-
pel what is wicked and get rid of what  i s 
corrupt by the force of fire. In addition, 
these customs imply that Japanese peo-
ple have a particular inclination toward 
purification and like to purify things by 
means of fire, along with water and salt. 
   Fire is also considered to have a 
magical power to encourage us and make 
us warm by its reddish glow. So we feel 
relieved when we see a bonfire in the 
dark at  hatsu-mOde (a New Year's  visit 
to a shrine) on the morning of New Year's 
Day. (SHOJI DOMAE,  Kasugai)
   As mentioned in the "Daily Word" 
message of October 8, the word "fire" is 
often  associated with a natural disaster. 
I vividly remember the picture on televi-
sion accompanying a news report on the 
big fire after the Hanshin-Awaji Earth-
---------------------[End of Page 10]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997 
quake on January 17, 1995.  1 realized it 
was true that fire can destroy every-
thing whereas thieves only steal some-
thing precious from one's house. 
   Another natural big fire which re-
cently impressed me was the fire in  Yel-
lowstone National Park in the U. S. in 
 1988. A recent article in the National 
Geographic states that natural fires are 
important to keep forests healthy. 
Therefore, we should not make an effort 
to control or extinguish forest fires un-
less they endanger human lives. I was 
surprised to know that there exists a 
kind of pine cone that is sealed solidly 
with rosin, awaiting the next big fire. 
There are many things we can learn from 
nature. Anyway, I was happy to see pic-
tures of the park recovering faster than 
people had previously expected. 
   On the other hand, people often set 
fires intentionally to destroy the envi-
ronment. I was shocked to see an enor-
mous flame in a picture of the dark Ama-
zon which was taken from a satellite at 
night. I think many people remember 
that Iraqi soldiers set fires in the oil 
fields of Kuwait as they retreated just 
before the end of the Gulf War. I can't 
see any reason for such stupid behavior. 
   One of the memorable fires for me 
this year was that on the torch held by 
Muhammad  All at the Olympic Stadium in 
Atlanta, Georgia. In spite of his poor 
health, he appeared again in front of us 
as a hero. In spite of his bitter memo-
ries concerning his gold medal, he ac-
complished the important job as the last 
athlete to light the Olympic torch. I like 
to see fire when it brings us hope and 
happiness, just like the candles on a 
birthday cake. 
(TOSHIAKI MIYAKE, Tsuzuki, Yokohama) 
   My sister's birthday is March 3rd. 
That's why she had fine hina dolls al-
though she was born in the time  of. ma-
terial shortage after World War  II. But 
when the disastrous  Ise-wan Typhoon
         "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 11 
struck, when she was  12, her hina dolls 
were under water for several days. "You 
must never throw away any kind of doll", 
my mother often said to us.  "Anything 
with eyes has its own soul." Even more 
so, the o-hina-sama that protects a girl 
from evil. The damaged dolls should 
have been put in the sacred fire in the 
temple after offering a prayer of thanks. 
But she preferred to have them float on 
the peaceful current of a river in the 
country, following the custom of  Naga-
shi-bina, and actually she did so. 
   Fire and water, as well as many oth-
er things in nature, such as the wind, 
mountains, trees, grass or stones, have 
been considered sacred and in each of -
them lives a god, according to Japanese 
religion in particular. Nature has been 
held in awe  and respect  and that has giv-
en birth to many different kinds of gods. 
But those gods in nature are completely 
different from the concept of God in the 
 Western- world and they should be  called 
kami or hotoke rather than god, because 
in Japanese religion everything on the 
earth has the nature of Buddha (busshO) 
                  i\-" 
which has nothinjElo with absolute  exis- < 
tence or being the Creator. 
   The hi-no-kami that we've consid-
ered to be in fire, has been familiar to 
us because we have often used fire in 
our daily life. Although we call him the 
god of fire, that doesn't mean fire was 
created by him. We've just adored fire 
as something precious and important to 
us. Likewise, because we are surrounded 
with various kinds of gods relating to 
nature, that doesn't necessarily mean 
that we are unable to think of only one 
Creator of this universe beyond every-
thing. 
   This summer, on the evening of Au-
gust  15,  I visited a big Zen temple where 
a young priest, my acquaintance, was in 
training. That was the last day of the 
 oboe period, so I brought our  shOryo-bone 
there in order to put it into the fire the 
temple had  prepared.  Shoryd-bune is a
---------------------[End of Page 11]---------------------
12 JANUARY 19,  1997
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
straw  mat-made into the shape of a ship 
in which some food had been wrapped 
and placed in front of the altar during 
the  oboe period. In the middle of the 
large precincts, much lumber had been 
 arranged  the, shape of a  box,.. about 3 
meters square and 2 meters high. Many 
people placed their  shoryo-bune on top of 
the wooden structure and the fire burned 
brightly while some priests chanted a 
sutra together. 
   Gazing at the big fire flaring up in 
the dusk of the evening surrounded by 
many people offering prayers to the 
souls of their ancestors, I thought about 
the nature of the god that is considered 
to  be in fire.  If he has a severe and 
strict nature toward sinful and weak 
people, the fire may burn them with an-
ger, rebuke or punishment, even though 
they approach him  askingJor help or for-
giveness. But if his nature is full of 
mercy and love, the fire  will make  their 
cold 1jod warm and minds relieved.  iaccii es 
   In the face of a nature that is too 
rigid, a weak mind cannot be saved and 
however hard we may try,  human beings 
are fundamentally weak, I think. But is 
it quite natural for such people to be 
burned in the fierce fire of justice? Is 
it a  .lukewarm... or too flexible god that 
accepts even those people in his warm 
 hands? 
(KIKUKO  • KUWAHARA,Nakagawa,Nagoya)
   Fire is what we are most afraid  of 
now. When my father was alive, we did 
not realize the extent of my mother's 
senility. He sometimes complained about 
her loss of memory, but we ignored it, 
thinking that one's memory naturally de-
teriorates with age. After my father's 
death, we now have to take care of my 
mother and realize how  .difficult it is to 
care  for her. • 
   One morning, I went into her room to 
awaken her. I felt the room was very hot, 
but at first, I didn't know the reason. 
Looking around, I saw that the gas burner
was lit. There was no water in the ket-
tle on it. I suspected that she wanted to 
boil water the previous night and then 
forgot about it. 
   One day, I entered her room and 
smelled propane  • gas. I asked her what 
she  Was doing.  Senility seemed to  'have 
eliminated her sense of smell. I told her 
not to light a fire at that time and 
opened the windows. At last, I decided 
to replace the gas range with an electro-
magnetic cooker. After some difficulties 
and short circuits, she has now learned 
how to use it. 
   She sometimes sits in front of the 
family Buddhist altar and puts incense 
sticks in the pot.  If these sticks  f  ell 
down, perhaps they would start a fire, so 
I told  her not to stand them up in the pot 
but to lay them down. I am not sure 
whether she really understood my ad-
vice, but we cannot force her to pray for 
her husband without incense sticks. 
   The most difficult thing in caring 
for senile persons is that they are so sen-
sitive to being humiliated that we can-
not follow the preferred method to pre-
vent fires. If we do so and upset them, 
they might fall into a rage and tell us to 
leave. For now, we must watch her behav-
ior carefully and only hope for good luck. 
 (YOSHIHISA KAWAHARA,Mihama,Aichi) 
 ' One of our human abilities is  • to 
make and control fire. Everyday we use 
fire to cook food and to warm ourselves. 
Nowadays, we also use electric and gas 
appliances for both purposes. Until the 
 1950s, we used wood and charcoal in 
stoves, ranges, kotatsu and kairo. Now, 
I sometimes burn fallen leaves in the 
church garden with Sunday School chil-
dren or watch a campfire in the summer. 
I can imagine fire to be a living thing 
with its great flame resembling moving 
tongues and its sounds of crackling, but 
fire itself does not have its own will to 
grow. It is human beings who feed fire 
with fuel and who can make fire for  ben-
---------------------[End of Page 12]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997 
eficial purposes or quench it to keep 
their possessions from being consumed. 
If one strikes a match irresponsibly, it 
is dangerous. And we must never forget 
to turn off the switch of an electric or 
gas appliance after using it. 
   In the spring of  1979, I visited Kyo-
to for the first time in my life. My ini-
tial impression of Kyoto Station was its 
plainness in comparison with stations of 
other big cities. Recently I learned that 
the former station in Kyoto had been de-
stroyed by a fire almost 30 years previ-
ously, in the early morning of November 
18,1950. It was a fine Renaissance-style 
building made of wood, built in 1914 in 
memory of Emperor  Taisho. The second 
floor of the station was used as a res-
taurant and a steward working there left 
an iron heated, which was the origin of 
the fire. How terrible this kind of care-
lessness is. If we had no fire, we would 
have fewer disasters, but we would re-
main as primitive people. So let us 
thank God for the fire of the sun, elec-
tricity, gas and matches and for the  w  i  s-
dom to use and control them. 
      (KAZUKO TAGUCHI, Fukushima) 
   I always wonder why so many people 
walk along the street with a lighted ci-
garette in their hand. They seem totally 
unaware that they are carrying some-
thing that can easily set inflammable 
materials on fire. In fact, they ignore 
serious accidents in which a lighted 
cigarette carried by a walking man 
burned a little girl's eye or injured a 
small boy's face in a crowded place. 
   I also wonder why people smoke a 
cigarette while driving a car which has a 
gasoline tank in it. They seem not to re-
alize that they are carrying something 
so inflammable as gasoline. They know 
very well that a lighted cigarette is not 
allowed in a  gas. station. It is really a 
great wonder that they carry such a dan-
gerous thing in such a dangerous place as 
a car without serious accidents.
         "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 13 
   I cannot help remembering the sad 
fact that every year discarded cigarette 
butts are at the top of the list of causes 
of big fires reported annually by fire 
stations. People cannot entirely escape 
from carelessness. So the way to avoid 
the risk of causing a fire is fairly sim-
ple. When you smoke, be aware that you 
are carrying a fire. When you stop smok-
ing, you must extinguish the fire without 
fail. Be sure the fire is out! 
   You should not forget, above all else, 
that fire is a double-edged sword. Fire 
has served mankind as an indispensable 
source of heat and light. On the other 
hand, fires have caused the loss of count-
less lives plus valuable possessions. 
   In Zoroastrianism, fire is wor-
shipped. Some Buddhist temples in Ja-
pan light a holy fire for an invocation. 
People gaze in awe  at  • a crackling 
Fire, an object of respect and worship, 
is a great mystery. 
  (SHOJI  SUGIMOTO, Suginami, Tokyo) 
   In Japan, September 1st is designat-
ed Disaster Prevention Day and the week 
including that day is Disaster Prevention 
Week to commemorate the devastation 
of the Great Kanto Earthquake in  1923. 
A nationwide campaign and various kinds 
of disaster-prevention training,  includ-
ing fire-prevention are held to raise the 
consciousness of the people against dis-
asters. In November, when people begin 
to turn their heaters on, Autumn Fire 
Prevention Week is held and in March, 
when strong spring winds begin to blow, 
Spring Fire Prevention Week is observed 
by fire stations all around the country. 
   Today, many wooden houses in the 
country have been replaced by concrete 
ones, but Japanese remember the horrors 
of great earthquakes and the  following 
fires quite well. Japanese history indi-
cates that Kyoto, the capital of Japan 
for many years, was devastated many 
times by accidental fires or wartime 
fires and almost all precious wooden
---------------------[End of Page 13]---------------------
 14 JANUARY 19, 1997 
 ----buildings before the 15th century were 
 burnt down and works of art were lost 
 forever. Edo was burnt down several 
 times, making almost the entire popu-
 lation homeless and killing many people 
 and so was Tokyo in the Great Kanto 
 Earthquake. Especially the Great  Hanshin 
 Earthquake in 1995 was quite astonish-
 ing and should be a lesson for us all to 
 be constantly alert to prevent disasters. 
    I have  takeh part as a team member 
 in community activities held by the Ja-
 pan Red Cross Service Team and as a col-
 laborator in a Disaster Prevention Team 
 of the fire department. They hold fire 
 prevention exercises and  anti-disaster 
 training, including first aid, every year 
 in the community. I urge others to try to 
 participate in such training actively as 
 often as possible to get used to the 
 techniques. 
    The Tokyo Fire Department says that 
 most fires are caused by arson. We 
• should inspect the outside of our houses 
 and try not to put anything that burns 
 easily nearby. Inside the house,  we 
 should not put any inflammable objects 
 near the kitchen range or heaters. A fire 
 extinguisher or a bucket of water should 
 be quickly available near our fuel  dis-
 pensers. Filling the bath tub with water 
 is desirable. To correctly counteract 
 fire with a bucket of water or a fire ex-
 tinguisher requires some technique.  1  t 
 is necessary to get used to fire-fighting 
 devices through training courses. When 
 fire breaks out at home, immediately 
 dial 119 and calmly report the fire, the 
 address and landmarks, name and phone 
 number. When evacuation is necessary, 
 be sure to remember that human  life is 
 most valuable and never go back into the 
 house to take out belongings. 
     In Japan, where earthquakes strike 
 very often, disaster-prevention training 
 is especially important. The Tokyo met-
 ropolitan government issued helpful 
 guidelines on what to do during an earth-
 quake: 1) At home, get under a table to
             "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
make you and your family safe. 2) Turn 
off the gas; if fire breaks out, extinguish 
it quickly. 3) Do not panic and rush out-
doors. 4) Open the door to secure an ex-
it. 5) Outside, protect your head and 
avoid dangerous falling objects. 6) In a 
car, pull over to the left and stop. 7)  I  f 
someone is injured, give them the neces-
sary first aid. 8) If an evacuation advi-
sory is issued, go by foot, carry a mini-
mum of necessities and cooperate with 
others. 9) Follow official information; 
don't act on rumors.  10) Emergency pre-
parations are the key to minimizing 
damage. 
(MICHIKO KAWAMURA, Meguro, Tokyo)
*************************
October  15 Message (Subject  #316)
    In Japan these days foreign-made 
articles, including handbags, satchels, 
briefcases and the like are quite popular. 
Though expensive, some people are  w  i  I  l-
ing to pay for the added prestige or  so-
phistication they represent. In the old 
days, such containers were not needed 
because of a unique Japanese article 
which was much simpler and more con-
venient. The square piece of cloth called 
a  furoshiki,or bath cloth, was originally 
used in connection with the public bath. 
This wrapping cloth, like Japanese philo-
sophy, is flexible and can be used to car-
ry many different kinds of articles, for 
its shape changes depending upon its con-
tents rather than keeping the firm form 
of Western-style bags or concepts. In 
former days,  take-home presents for 
wedding guests were usually tied in a 
furoshiki. Furoshiki is the suggested 
theme for an essay this week. What do 
you think of these wrapping cloths. Do 
you ever use one these days? Did you use 
one in the past? What thoughts or  memo-
ries does this word bring to your mind?
---------------------[End of Page 14]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997 
What are its advantages? Why is it not 
so popular these days and what do you 
think about its future? 
              ************************
   I was enrolled in the preparatory 
course of  KeijO (now Seoul) Imperial 
University for four months until the end 
of the Pacific War. Professor Ohta, who 
taught us English, used to use a furoshiki 
for carrying his textbooks and other ref-
erence books into the lecture room. I 
don't know of anyone else at that school 
who brought books tied in a furoshiki.  It 
 is true that cloth and leather were very 
rare during the wartime due to a general 
shortage of materials. Be that as  it 
may, to see such a person as Professor 
Ohta using a furoshiki was rather odd. 
   In regard to my own experience, I 
used a furoshiki in order to take a big 
vase as a present to a Korean friend of 
mine on my recent trip to Korea. At 
first, I tried to take it in a paper bag, 
but it was too big. So I decided to  wrap 
it in a large-size furoshiki and to make a 
present of the furoshiki itself also.  I 
thought the light purple furoshiki was 
rather pretty as well as useful and an 
appropriate gift for a foreigner. 
   Considering convenience, a furoshiki 
is less handy than a paper bag.  For that 
reason, furoshiki will become less and 
less popular, just like shoes with laces 
are becoming less popular than those 
without laces. 
    (HARUJI FUKUMI, Minami, Nagoya) 
   Hearing the word furoshiki,  I recall 
an anecdote from my younger days, when 
I was keeping company with a group of 
foreigners. One of them, who was a 
newcomer to our country, said in halting 
Japanese:okusan ni furoshiki. At  first, 
people could not understand his words, 
but after a moment, they burst out laugh 
ing, realizing that he had meant to say
         "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 15 
yoroshiku.  It was quite understandable, 
I thought, for the foreigner to make such 
a mistake in the use of words because he 
did not know the origin of the words. 
   As Dr. Offner explained, furoshiki 
literally means "bath cloth". It was ori-
ginally used to wrap one's clothes at a 
public bathhouse or, sometimes, to sit 
on after taking a bath. It is a scarf-like 
square cloth, usually made of silk or 
cotton, but recently, synthetic materials 
are also used. Most of those in daily use 
are decorated with artistic pictures, 
such as flowers, trees and scenery. Furo-
shiki are also used on formal occasions. 
For example, when we bring oseibo to an 
acquaintance, we wrap and carry the 
things in a furoshiki. The furoshiki used 
for this purpose is usually decorated 
with the family crest of the owner. A 
small crepe wrapper called a fukusa is a 
kind of furoshiki, which we saw recently 
in the Diet. When the House of Represent-
atives was dissolved the other day, a 
purple fukusa was brought to the place 
of Ms. Doi, the speaker of the House, and 
she took out the Imperial Rescript of 
Dissolution and read it aloud. 
   A furoshiki is a traditional and 
unique Japanese article.  It is really a 
very useful thing. It is flexible and can 
be used to wrap many kinds of items, no 
matter whether they are big or small, 
square or  .round, heavy or light. A  collo-
quial phrase,  oh-furoshiki o hirogeru (to 
spread out a big wrapper), is applied to 
an overly confident man who exagger-
ates, boasting that he can carry more in 
his furoshiki than is possible. When we 
use a Western suitcase or briefcase, we 
have to bring it back even after it  is 
emptied, but a furoshiki can be folded up 
and kept in one's pocket when not being 
used. It is very simple and convenient. 
   When I belonged to the Ministry of 
Home Affairs, I had many opportunities 
to attend meetings of Diet committees. 
I used to take a furoshiki to carry the 
necessary documents for deliberation.
---------------------[End of Page 15]---------------------
16 JANUARY 19, 1997 
Most of the government delegates did the 
same, following the example of their  sen-
iors. I never saw a government delegate 
carrying a briefcase for that purpose. 
   Although the furoshiki 's compact-
ness and flexibility still attract many 
people, young  people are seldom seen 
using them these days. They are gradual-
ly being replaced by handbags and shop-
ping bags. Maybe they think furoshiki 
are unattractive and old-fashioned. I 
think this tendency is quite regrettable 
because the furoshiki is one of the great 
est inventions of our ancestors which 
we can be proud of throughout the world. 
      (MIKIHIKO YOSHIMOTO, Gifu) 
   When  I had to carry something too 
large to put into my school knapsack, I 
sometimes used a furoshiki. But that 
was in the late 1950s when I went to 
elementary school. These days, I only 
use it to keep clothes together before I 
put them into my large traveling bag. 
   We used to take a shopping bag from 
home since clerks usually didn't give us 
a large bag at stores. When my mother 
bought too much to fit in  the bag, she 
took out a furoshiki and wrapped things 
in it. Because it was able to be folded 
up, it served as a good spare container. 
The unpopularity of furoshiki at present 
may be due to the prevalence  of plastic 
bags at supermarkets. 
   We also .used to consider furoshiki 
as an important wrapper. It seemed for-
mal to wrap things in it when it was 
made of silk. If one wore a kimono, it 
went well with it. Therefore, the de-
creasing opportunities of wearing kimo-
no may have something to do with the 
decline of its  popularity. 
   By the way, do you know where we 
 may buy a national flag,  hinomaru, in a 
department  store? Believe it or not, it 
is at a  furoshiki  counter. Clerks catego-
rize the flag as a kind of furoshiki. Al-
though I am not an extreme nationalist, I 
feel strange about that. I cannot pledge
              "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
allegiance to a furoshiki you know. 
(TOSHIAKI MIYAKE, Tsuzuki, Yokohama) 
   The name of the 'wrapping cloth", or 
furoshiki, is derived from the use made 
of it in ancient times when all homes did 
not have a bathroom. There were public 
bathhouses in the neighborhood and most 
people went there, taking a change of un-
derwear in a wrapping cloth bundle. Be-
fore taking a bath, they took off their 
clothes and wrapped them in the cloth 
and put the bundle in the dressing room. 
After the bath, they undid the cloth-
wrapped parcel, dried off and then put 
on their clothes. Since it was used to 
wipe off,wet feet in the bathroom, it 
was called a furoshiki, meaning furo  tai 
shiku. In the Edo period, it was also 
used as a hood, like that called a zukin. 
   It is convenient to use as a head 
covering when it suddenly begins to rain 
or gets cold. Also, it's very convenient 
for carrying things of any size and shape. 
Nowadays, old people carry one as a ne-
cessary item when they go out. There is 
a saying "She married into a family with 
nothing but her personal effects tied in a 
 furoshiki." It means that a poor girl who 
got married had nothing but her clothes 
and daily necessities carried in a wrap-
ping cloth. In ancient times, many poor 
girls are said to have married like that. 
 The word "wrapping cloth bundle" has the 
implication  of  "very poor". 
   (MIEKO OKUMURA, Mizuho, Nagoya) 
   At the present time, furoshiki s are 
being displaced by paper bags, but some 
are still being used. According to the 
season, I wrap clothes in a furoshiki 
which are supposed to be given at wed-
dings. 
   I heard that at the Matsuzakaya De-
partment Store, they sold  Utarhoro's  fu-
roshikis and foreigners liked them. So I 
bought one and sent it to my pen pal. She 
wrote in her letter, "I am using it as a 
neckerchief". (YASUKO  IZUMI, Seto)
---------------------[End of Page 16]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997
   November 1st, after working at the 
 office, I went to see Mr. Hamada's paint-
ing in an exhibition with Ms. Okumura. 
(Both of them have become my friends 
through the "Daily  Word" listeners meet-
ings.) All the way to the exhibition  hall 
and back home, I tried to find someone 
carrying something in a furoshiki, but I 
found no one, even though I went through 
Nagoya Station. A furoshiki seems fit-
ting for a person wearing a kimono, I 
think, but even such persons had leather, 
cloth or paper bags. I have five or more 
furoshiki, but recently I never use them. 
   When I was enrolled in. a dressmak-
ing class, I used to wrap cloth materials 
in a furoshiki to avoid wrinkling them 
and then put them into a paper bag be-
cause it was more convenient to carry 
than just the  furoshiki package. Further-
more, I used a furoshiki to wrap around a 
big bottle  (isshe3-bin) when I was sent to 
get soy sauce from a nearby maker  in my 
elementary school days.  in those days, 
we  didn't have other suitable sacks or 
bags in which to carry things. 
   A  furoshiki may have some advan-
tages such as saving materials by its re-
peated use or because it is so flexible, 
but the fact that few persons use it now 
indicates that it is not so convenient in 
modern life. I think a cloth bag is more 
convenient and can also be used repeat-
edly. We should use it as much as possi-
ble, rather than paper or plastic bags 
given at supermarkets, to conserve ma-
terials and not to increase garbage. 
    (YOSHIKO TOYOTA, Kanie,  Aichi) 
   I am sure no containers are more 
convenient than furoshiki with their 
many sizes and kinds of cloth. They re-
mind me of the time when my father was 
to have his own office at  TOhoku  Gakuin 
High School as a principal 59 years ago. 
He bought a round and flat wooden box to 
put a set of tea utensils in to use in his 
office. He showed it to us before taking 
it to the school, but he found it difficult
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
17
to wrap up in the paper and tie it with a 
string again in order to carry it. In those 
days, we had no big, strong paper bags 
with a handle to carry things. Of course, 
he could not carry it in his school bag, 
either. Then I gave him the advice, "You 
had better carry it in a  furoshiki." "Yes, 
that is a very good idea. You are very 
smart," father said. 
   When I first began living in Harano-
machi in 1964, my mother gave me a big 
furoshiki, about 1.5 square meters, say-
ing, "If you have to take refuge in the 
neighborhood in case of fire, it will be 
useful to put in various kinds of valua-
bles and carry them on your back." For-
tunately, I had no need to use it for that 
purpose. I thought that a furoshiki was 
originally very big and used for wrapping 
up a bathtub to take out  in. case of fire, 
but that was a mistake. 
   These days, there are many foreign-
made containers which are very popular 
in Japan. Almost all Japanese wear 
Western-style clothes and have hand-
bags, rucksacks, satchels or brief cases 
in which to carry things. So we don't 
have to use furoshiki as we did in the 
old days because many stores provide 
paper or plastic bags when we buy some-
thing. But when we wear Japanese kimo-
no at commencement ceremonies or wed-
ding parties, we use furoshiki to wrap 
our things in and for the  take-home pres-
ents. Sometimes, furoshiki become an 
accessory to match our kimono. Thus, as 
long as Japanese-style clothes are worn 
by the people, furoshiki made of silk 
crepe will also be used. 
   When people realized the problems 
connected with plastic bags--the enor-
mous refuse they create, the poisonous 
gas produced after burning or remaining 
in the ground after burying them and not 
knowing how to dispose of the many 
plastic products, they began to refuse 
the plastic bags and began using cotton 
furoshiki again. They are washable,  flex-
ible, reusable and come in various sizes,
---------------------[End of Page 17]---------------------
18 JANUARY 19, 1997 
the most reasonable container in the 
world. (KAZUKO TAGUCHI,  Fukushima) 
   I associate furoshiki with a funny-
sounding word:  "Nabiro". "Nabiro?" When 
I first heard this word, I couldn't catch 
the meaning right away. "Yes, na-biro, 
na o hiro suru, to introduce one's name to 
people." "Oh, now  I understand.  And  ' 
whose name?" "Your name!" I remember 
the little conversation I had with my 
mother while making wedding prepara-
tions many years ago. 
   Furoshiki had been chosen to intro-
duce the bride's name to the people, es-
pecially those on the bridegroom's side. 
On the noshi- paper on the little  furoshi-
ki box, the bride's name was written  in 
fine calligraphy and added to other wed-
ding gifts prepared for each guest pres-
ent at the wedding ceremony. 
   As soon as my husband and I re-
turned from our honeymoon, his mother 
asked me, in a reserved manner, to  visit 
several families in their neighborhood 
with her in a formal kimono. "What an 
old-fashioned  custom!" My husband first 
objected to it, but I had to think of her 
situation and was not troubled by it. 
From one house to another, she handed 
my nabiro  furoshiki to each neighbor, 
saying, "We now have one more daugh-
ter." I clearly recall her words as well 
as the nice pattern and beautiful color of 
the furoshiki She didn't say, "This  i  s 
our  yome-san" and that reflected her 
considerate character. 
   Now, I have many furoshiki and 
most of them are nabiro furoshiki of my 
friends, relatives and  -  colleagues, re-
ceived at their weddings long ago. When 
I use them, I imagine those shy, innocent 
brides who have become middle-aged,  ex-
perienced housewives or school-career-
oriented mothers of their children. 
   Times have changed. Furoshiki have 
been replaced by various kinds of nabiro 
goods such as spoons, luncheon  ,mats, 
potholders or a bud vase, which are now
 "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
more often used in our daily lives. And 
it has become very common that both 
given names of bridegroom and bride are 
written on the noshi -paper. Now that 
we live in the time when more and more 
brides insist on their surnames being un-
changed, soon we may see new types of 
nabiro gifts showing both names with 
different surnames. 
(KIKUKO KUWAHARA,Nakagawa,Nagoya) 
   It is said that "furoshiki" originated 
from words meaning "bath wrapping 
cloths" in the Edo period. In those days, 
when going to a public bath, people used 
a  furoshiki for wrapping their clothes. 
It was very convenient for wrapping, 
storing or carrying things. 
   At the time of my wedding, a box of 
furoshiki was presented not only to the 
guests but also to the neighbors to intro-
duce the new couple (whose names were 
on the wrapping paper). The ohburoshiki, 
a large  furoshiki  , in which my wedding 
futon was wrapped had the original de-
sign of a green arabesque pattern. My 
mother-in-law had sewed some pieces of 
the ohburoshiki by hand, making good 
use of old futon cloths. They were very 
useful and flexible to wrap such things 
as big futons and cushions. Sometimes, 
they were used  to- cover things that 
needed to be hidden. I still treasure 
them as her mementos. 
   There is a colloquial phrase, ohburo-
shiki o hirogeru. This is applied to a 
man who exaggerates or boasts that he 
can carry more in his furoshiki than is 
actually possible. As times have changed 
these kinds of things and words related 
to them do not seem so popular these 
days. However, I'd like  td- recognize the 
value of this traditional, unique article. 
One may use it as a scarf or as an  artis-
tic  adornment.  it might also become nice 
material for quilting. I hope many fresh 
ideas will enrich our  lives. Never say 
die, furoshiki! 
(SADAE HASHIMOTO, Minami, Nagoya)
---------------------[End of Page 18]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997 
   I used to carry some books and doc-
uments in my furoshiki on my way to and 
from my workplace when I worked for a 
textbook publishing house as a member 
of the editorial staff. One day, a  col-
league of mine asked me why I carried a 
furoshiki instead of an ordinary bag like 
other people used.  I answered, as an ad-
vocate of furoshiki, that his question 
indicated his ignorance of the merits of 
the wrapping cloth. Saying so, I folded 
my furoshiki up and put it in my pocket. 
"Can you put your bag into your pocket 
when you do not use it?" I asked him. 
   Instead of having a shape of it own, 
a furoshiki has versatile merits. It is 
nothing but a square thin piece of cloth, 
with each side less than a meter long, 
but it is quite versatile. It can instantly 
change into a muffler in the cold or into 
a first aid bandage for an injury. 
 (SHOW SUGIMOTO, Sugunami, Tokyo)
 *************************
 October  22 Message (Subject #317)
   The inspiration for today's theme 
came while looking  at a Japanese  refer-
ence book which stated that on this day 
(October 22nd) in 1933, a ringo  jikenoc-
cuffed in connection with a  SOkei-sen, 
 (Waseda/KeiO University competition).  I 
have no idea what the "Apple  Incident" 
involved, but  I am suggesting "Apples" as 
the subject for essays this week. Apples 
are a popular fruit in Japan, but the Unit-
ed States is accusing Japanese officials 
of raising unreasonable barriers to their 
importation from the U. S. Do you like 
apples? Do you eat them  often?  What 
 thoughts or memories do you have re-
garding apples, how they are grown and 
how they are used? 
 *************************
          "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 19 
   When  I heard the term ringo jiken, 
"Apple Incident", I was very curious to 
know the name of the reference book in 
which it was found. [Editor's note: It is 
365 Nichi Jiten,  Kyo wa Donna Hi ka, pub-
lished by Shakai  Shisa-sha.] I haven't 
heard the word for more than 25 years. I 
was acquainted with it because I was a 
student of  KeiO for  15 years, from junior 
high school through graduate school. As 
mentioned in the message, the incident 
happened during a baseball game be-
tween Waseda and  KeiO universities, a 
 so-called  Seikei-sen. (I don't know how 
 KeiO students call it now, but we used to 
call it  KeisO-sen, putting  KeiO first.) 
 It occurred before the Second World 
War when Mizuhara (who, after graduat-
ing from  KeiO University became a star 
player of the Yomiuri Giants and, later, 
the team  manager) was the third base-
man on the  Keio University team. An 
apple was thrown from Waseda's cheer-
ing section and landed on the ground near 
Mizuhara. (At that time, Waseda support-
ers sat on the left side of the stadium. 
At present, they sit on the right side.) 
He threw it back into the stand. From 
that moment, outraged students rushed 
onto the ground and, of course, the game 
could not continue. In the long history 
of the  SOkei-sen, that was the only inci-
dent which we cannot talk about proudly. 
The reason why a student threw the ap-
ple was not clear, because it was not 
known who threw it and Mizuhara did not 
talk about it before he died. 
(TOSHIAKI MIYAKE, Tsuzuki, Yokohama) 
   We should be careful in considering 
the exact correspondence between Japa-
nese and English words. For example, 
many people think that Japanese ringo 
is the equivalent of the English "apple", 
but that is not correct. What is called 
ringo today is equivalent to the "apple" 
which had been cultivated from of old in 
Europe and was introduced to our country 
early in the Meiji era. But before the in-
---------------------[End of Page 19]---------------------
20 JANUARY 19, 1997 
troduction of the European apple, there 
was already a fruit called ringo, which 
had been introduced from China in an-
cient days. This species is much  smaller 
and tastes sour.  It bears a faint resem-
blance to an apple. Even today, it is 
called  wa-ringo (Japanese  ringo) or  j  i-
ringo (native ringo). By the way,  kirin 
was not originally used for the  animal 
we call a giraffe. A kirin was a fiery 
horse, an imaginary animal in old China, 
which had the body of a deer, the tail of 
a cow, the hoof of a horse, the forehead 
of a wolf and a big horn in the center of 
its head. We can see it on the label of 
Kirin Beer. When a giraffe was imported 
to Japan, people were puzzled about 
what  to call it and finally chose kirin. 
This is similar to the case of  ringo 
insofar as their names are concerned. 
   Europe is in the same latitude as 
Hokkaido and northern Honshu. There-
fore, European apples are cultivated in 
the northern part of our country. The To-
hoku District is the main area of apple 
production. In my boyhood, the distribu-
tion of goods was not so easy as today 
and so an apple was an article of value 
in my hometown in Hiroshima. Apples 
were often used as gifts to sick people. 
We could seldom eat them. By the way, 
bananas were much more precious be-
cause they were, needless to say, im-
ported all the way from the South Seas 
area. • 
   Today, as a result of developing and 
improving the plant, apples have become 
bigger and sweeter than before, Some 
of them have honey in the center. We  sel-
dom find a sour apple today. Apples are 
tinged with red, from whence comes the 
expression "an  apple-cheeped boy".  I   In 
our country,  ringo often is included  in 
popular songs, maybe because they are 
lovely and sweet. In the wartime, it  was 
prohibited to compose or to sing popular 
songs. At that time, songs meant  mar-
tial or other songs to inspire people 
with patriotism. The first popular song
              "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
after the war was Ringo no Uta. When 
Namiki Michiko, a female singer, sang 
this song, people felt at peace and real-
ized that the war had truly ended. She is 
in good health even now and sometimes 
appears on television, singing the same 
song. When I hear her singing the song, I 
am filled with deep emotion, recalling 
the former days. 
   I know the word "apple polisher", 
which means one who fawns on his or 
her superior. Our expression for that is 
 goma-suri, which literally means one 
who pounds sesame seeds. You should 
know that the expression "to polish the 
apple" can be used for the meaning men-
tioned above. 
      (YOSHIHIKO  YOSHIMOTO, Gifu) 
   Dr. Offner indicated that he has no 
idea what the "Apple Incident" involved, 
so I will write about that before my com-
ments about the main subject, "Apples". 
   Baseball games among the six  uni-
versities in Tokyo in prewar days were 
more popular than those among the pro-
fessional baseball teams in the postwar 
days. Many star players were produced 
by the teams of those six universities. 
Waseda and  Kele), both of which are  rep-
resentative, historic private  universi-
ties, especially, had a large number of 
fans. Their games were always sched-
uled on the final day of a tournament re-
gardless of their standing. That is to 
say, their game was always the climax 
of the baseball season. Many fans gath-
ered in the Meiji Shrine Ball Park, crowd-
ed into the stands and cheered for their 
favorite team. The number of students 
who came to encourage their teams was 
much larger than today. 
   The "Apple Incident" occurred at 
such a time. As games between Waseda 
and  Kei6 were invariably close, it was 
natural that the supporters from both 
universities were extraordinarily  excit-
ed. When the Waseda team was at bat, 
an apple was thrown into the infield by
---------------------[End of Page 20]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997 
an excited student from the stand on the— 
Waseda side. It rolled near Shigeru Mizu-
hara, who was at the "hot corner" (third 
base). Members of both teams were usu-
ally well-disciplined and refrained from 
responding emotionally to any untoward 
incidents, as good sportsmen, but Shige-
ru became very angry at the impolite be-
havior of the Waseda fan. He picked up 
the apple with his right hand and threw 
it back into the stand filled with Waseda 
students. 
   Some people criticized his agitated 
response, but baseball fans in general 
sympathized with him and even consid-
ered his action heroic. The incident was 
 settled later through negotiations be-
tween supporting groups of both univer-
sities 
   After his graduation from  Keil:), Mr. 
Mizuhara was drafted into the army, 
fought in Manchuria, was captured by the 
Russian army and was forced to work in 
Siberia for several years after the war. 
Around  1948, when he was fortunately 
released from the Siberian labor camp, 
he appeared before baseball fans at the 
 KOrakuen Ball Park. I myself was there 
as a spectator of a professional baseball 
game and watched him as he gave a greet-
ing upon his arrival back home, clad in a 
snow-white sack coat. 
   He was really a handsome man, so he 
was liked by many young women. He was 
romantically linked with  Kinuyo Tanaka, 
a leading actress of the  Shochiku Motion 
Picture Company, but they did not get 
married. Afterward, he became manager 
of the Yomiuri Giants, the most famous 
professional baseball team in Japan. 
   In regard to apples in general, I re-
call two popular songs of the old days. 
One is "Under the Apple Tree" (Ringo no 
Ki no shita de), sung by Dick Mine in  pre-
war days. The other is "The Song of the 
Apple" (Ringo no Uta), sung by Michiko 
Namiki around the end of the war. Both 
of them were very popular and stimulat-
ed sweet, tender and encouraging emo-
         "DAILY  WORD" ECHOES 21 
tions. I will never forget the melodies 
of either of them. 
 1 also remember the redness of the 
apple embroidered on the decorated robe 
 (kishO mawashi) of sumo wrestler  Tai-
kyirzan around  1940. He was a Japanese 
born in  Taikya (now known as Taegu) in 
Korea, which was very famous for pro-
ducing tasty apples. I have always en-
joyed eating sweet apples. 
    (HARUJI FUKUMI, Minami, Nagoya) 
   On today's "Weekly News for Chil-
dren" on NHK, the question was raised 
why children eat less and less fruit al-
though there are more kinds of fruit 
available than previously. According to 
the program, there are about 300 kinds 
of fruit available in Japan today, but the 
amount eaten by each family is  one-third 
of that of a generation ago. 
   Two children were sent by the pro-
gram director to interview an elementa-
ry school class in Tokyo regarding the 
kind of apple they preferred, whether 
sweet or sour. Most pupils said  they 
liked sweet ones, but they  preferred 
sweet snacks to apples. The program 
raised the question of which is healthi-
er, fruit or fruit juice? It requires sev-
eral fruits to make one can of juice, but 
one  fruit is equal to 70 cans of juice in 
regard to the amount of dietary fiber. 
"Apples" is the suggested theme for an 
essay. I have decided to consume more 
fruit, including  mikans; apples and kiwi 
fruit myself and to let my children eat 
them more often than before. 
   Speaking of apples, there is a couple 
now living in Aomori that immediately 
comes to mind. They used to attend the 
same church we do. Mr. and Mrs. Saito 
are now apple farmers. They used to 
work for Ohkuma Steelworks and had 
been assigned to a branch factory in 
Australia before they began  'attending 
our church. While they were with us, Mr. 
Saito decided to quit his job and go back 
to his hometown in Aomori where  his
---------------------[End of Page 21]---------------------
22 JANUARY 19, 1997 
father, once a junior high school princi-
pal, manages an apple orchard. 
 Karen, a friend of ours from Aus-
tralia and a coordinator for KGK  (Kiri-
suto-sha Gakusei Kai) visited the Sai-
tos in Aomori and found them living a 
leisurely  life working in an apple or-
chard. Now, whenever I eat apples, I 
think of Mr. and Mrs. Saito and their cute 
baby girl, Reina, wishing them a happy 
and prosperous life in Christ. 
  (TOMOYASU KIMURA, Nishi, Nagoya) 
   Dr. Offner mentioned that on October 
22,  1933, the "Apple Incident" occurred 
in connection with a  Sokei-sen. At that 
time I was a ten-year-old elementary 
school girl and did  not know about that, 
but I still remember the feverish atmos-
phere related to a  Sokei-sen. In those 
days, professional baseball was not so 
popular as today. People enjoyed univer-
sity baseball games more and among 
them the spirit stimulated by the com-
petition between Waseda and  Kei6 uni-
versities was outstanding. We can easi-
ly imagine that the spectators were so 
excited that they may have become vio-
lent and threw apples during the game. 
   Before the war, when  1 was a child, 
Japan was not so affluent as today, but 
the food situation was far better than 
during the war. Though the variety of 
fruit was limited, apples, mandarin  or-
anges and persimmons were most popu-
lar. Maybe, people in the northern part 
of Japan ate more apples and those in 
the southern part enjoyed more oranges. 
In those days, transportation  facilities 
were not so advanced as today. 
   I have many happy memories con-
cerning apples. Every fall, my uncle in 
Hokkaido sent us many apples. I vividly 
remember our joy when the boxes were 
opened. It may have been unusual in 
those days, but my mother learned how 
to make Western dishes and cakes from 
her  sister-in-law and got an oven. It was 
quite a small one which was placed on a
             "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
gas range when used. She make apple 
pies and baked apples by using the oven 
which was not so efficient. She tried 
hard and when the pies turned out well, 
she was  very thrilled and so were us 
children. I am still thankful for the lov-
ing kindness of my mother and my uncle 
who passed away long ago. 
   The apple tree belongs to the rose 
family and Japan had her own native 
ones, but their fruit was too tart to be 
eaten. The trees planted to produce edi-
ble apples were imported from Western 
countries in the early years of the  Meiji 
Era. Generally speaking, Japanese are 
quite diligent and willing to take meticu-
lous measures when they are considered 
necessary. Traditionally, their sense of 
taste has been refined and they have 
made a continuing effort to develop bet-
ter quality produce. Consequently, they 
have been very good at breeding fruit 
   The apples we tasted before the war 
were different than those which are pop-
ular now. When fall came, an early type 
of apple matured first. Then, a  mid-fall 
type and a  late-fall type came out one af-
ter another, but none of them lasted very 
long. In season, they were very good, but 
they soon lost their original flavor. 
   Time passed and the technology  for 
improving the quality of fruits has re-
markably advanced. Likewise, we can 
see a great progress in producing, stor-
ing, transporting and marketing fruits. 
Now we can enjoy almost any kind of 
fruit from all over the world at any time 
through all seasons. We should realize 
the benefits we can enjoy now and give 
thanks for the enormous efforts required 
to bring them about. At the same time, 
we should consider whether we have 
been so deeply involved in commercial-
ism that we have followed inhuman 
methods in the process. 
   These days, apples named Fuji are 
quite popular. Certainly, they are very 
delicious and durable, but I sometimes 
wonder whether they have lost the na-
---------------------[End of Page 22]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997
tural taste of the original apples which 
were sour. My  daughter-in--law in  Lon-
don said that Japanese Fuji apples were 
sold there. They are quite expensive, but 
highly appreciated. Certainly it is good 
news for us, but  I cannot help wondering 
whether we have followed an unnatural 
way in cutting down old apple trees still 
bearing fruit to replace them with new 
ones and in erecting barriers to protect 
our domestic industry from the outside 
 world. 
(MICHIKO  KAWAMURA, Meguro, Tokyo)
   The most delicious apple I have ever 
eaten in my entire life was the dish of 
grated apples my mother gave me when I 
was confined in bed with a cold. Some 
sixty years have passed since then and 
have never forgotten the fine flavor of 
the apple I tasted as a little boy. 
   It is now late in the fall, the height 
of the season for apples, the fruit of the 
earth. A bite of an apple produces both 
an enjoyable flavor and fragrance. It also 
stimulates in me a precious sense of 
health with its slightly sour and sweet 
flavor. But, sorry to say, I do not have 
the background to explain what apples 
are. Originally the fruit came from 
America and was assimilated through 
breeding. We have many kinds of apples 
on the market. I prefer red ones to green 
ones. This is because the latter look 
sourer than the  former. 
 (SHOJI SUGIMOTO, Suginami, Tokyo)
   Apples are my favorite of favorites. 
It is no exaggeration to say that I cannot 
last even one day without an apple. I'm 
very careful not to run out of apples in 
my refrigerator. My children also like 
apples so much that I have to buy them 
almost every other day. I usually buy 
them at a  fresh food store where we can 
get delicious and cheap apples in season 
accompanied by the shopkeeper's smile. 
   Unfortunately, there are a few times 
during the year when apples disappear
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
23
from  all-the fresh food stores and super-
markets near my home, except for very 
expensive ones used for special gifts. 
At such times, I go to a special shop.  it 
is a very little, old shop with quite lim-
ited kinds of fruit but where apples are 
sure to be available all the year round. 
The old man in the shop always sits on a 
chair in the dark, wooden shop watching 
television or taking a nap. It seems few 
customers come to buy. On an old wood-
en box at the left side of the shop, ap-
ples are placed carelessly. What pre-
cious apples they become when no other 
shops have them. 
   But  there. is one big problem about 
that shop. It is the very nasty smell 
around the apple stand. I soon realized 
that the unendurable odor was charac-
teristic of cat dung. How awful cat dung 
smells. I know very well because I spent 
my childhood with several pet cats. 
There is a narrow space next to the  left 
side of the shop and from there the odor 
invades the apple area. I imagine the 
shopkeeper's sense of smell must be 
dull. At first,  I tried to hold my breath 
while I bought apples, but the old man's 
movements were so slow that I couldn't 
continue to the end. So I decided to pur-
chase apples there only in the case of 
necessity. In that case, I first empty my 
lungs several meters away from the 
shop. Then I breathe in deeply to fill 
both lungs. Finally, holding my breath, I 
make a dash for the apples. 
 (KIKUKO KUWAHARA,Nakagawa,Nagoya)
   In regard to apples, I was born in 
Aomori, where many apples are produced. 
In my childhood,  .even after we moved to 
Sendai, we usually ate apples everyday 
after supper. Our father used to pare the 
apples for us. Mother said, "Anyone who 
eats an apple everyday will become a 
beauty." She sometimes boiled apples to 
make jam. I also liked apple juice. In 
those days, apples were sent from  Ao-
mori to many parts of Japan in big wood-
---------------------[End of Page 23]---------------------
24 JANUARY 19, 1997 
en boxes stuffed with chaff. We got ex-
cited when the box was opened by father 
or brother with a hammer's claw. Some-
times I ate an apple with its skin on. 
The chaff was made into pillows for our 
family and the wooden box was used as a 
container afterwards. 
   A few years ago, Ms.  Janell Landis 
and her English students in  Fukushima 
were invited to the apple orchard in Date 
Machi, belonging to the Kanebo family, 
whose mistress was our classmate. We 
enjoyed plucking apples from the short 
trees which are called Fuji.  We peeled 
off the skin with a knife and ate them. 
Those apples were big and sweet, having 
honey inside. They had another apple or-
chard of  KOgyoku (Red Jewel). This kind 
of apple is very red but somewhat rare 
now. It is a little sour and good for ap-
ple cakes. They told us how they had 
eliminated superfluous fruit and covered 
the remaining fruit with paper bags to 
keep them from insects and agricultural 
chemicals during certain periods. From 
the ancient story in Genesis,apples were 
considered forbidden fruit. It was good 
that Adam did not choke after swallow-
ing an apple which stayed in his throat. 
   Soon after the Pacific  War, the first 
domestic song we heard was Ringo no 
Uta, with its hopeful verses and melody 
which was sung by people in Japan. It 
gave us strength to set ourselves to re-
build our devastated land. Yes, apples are 
very popular in Japan. I also don't know 
why Japanese officials raise unreason-
able barriers to importing apples from 
America even though they favor "interna-
tionalization". I hope the day will soon 
come when apples in every nation be-
come envoys of goodwill. 
     (KAZUKO TAGUCHI, Fukushima)
 "Fl word  fitly spoken  is like  apples 
of gold in a setting of  silver." 
                (Proverbs 25:1  1)
 "DAILY  WORD" ECHOES
 *************************
October 29  Message (Subject  #318
   Although the Japanese Constitution, 
which was put into effect almost fifty 
years ago, has never been changed, an 
election of representatives was recently 
held under a new electoral system. As a 
result, there is a new alignment of poli-
tical forces and a new government has 
been formed. Looking back on this elec-
tion, what are your thoughts regarding 
the present state of democracy in Ja-
pan?  What is your reaction to the  re-
sults of the election? Are you happy 
with the new government and do you feel 
comfortable in regard to the direction 
Japan seems to be headed? Do you think 
changes are needed in election proce-
dures, the government bureaucracy, the 
Constitution or the way the Constitution 
is interpreted or applied? 
 *************************
   The general election for the House 
of Representatives was held the other 
day and the new strength of the respec-
tive political parties was decided. It 
was the first election held under a new 
election system in which there are can-
didates both for small electoral dis-
tricts and for proportional representa-
tion. Before the adoption of this new 
system, representatives were chosen 
from medium-sized electoral districts. 
Under that system, more than two candi-
dates belonging to the same party often 
competed with each other. As a result, 
 so-called  knowledgeable people insisted 
that policy differences were difficult to 
recognize. They insisted that the small 
electoral district system would en-
courage two large political parties, but 
the adoption of the new system did not 
achieve the hoped for result.
---------------------[End of Page 24]---------------------
JANUARY 19,  1997 
   The greatest drawback was the 
great number of so-called "dead  votes". 
There was no great difference in the 
number of votes for the Liberal Demo-
cratic Party and the New Frontier Party 
respectively, but this was not reflected 
in the number of representatives elected 
to the Diet. A slight difference in the 
popularity of parties can roll back the 
tide of election under the new system. 
   The next controversial point is the 
acceptance of double candidacy. A per-
son can stand as a candidate in both the 
small electoral district and the propor-
tional representation at the same time. 
Therefore, even if he is defeated in the 
former, he can gain a seat in the latter. 
A candidate whom the electorate reject-
ed can be resurrected against the voters' 
will. Newspapers called such winners 
"zombi", which, according to a dictionary 
means  "a corpse brought back to life by 
supernatural agency". I was favorably 
impressed with the aptness of this ap-
pellation. 
   Before the introduction of the new 
system, many people insisted that candi-
dates were obliged to raise much money 
and that the new system would solve 
that problem because the electoral  dis-
trict is smaller, but the result was far 
less than their expectations. 
   Considering the various aspects not-
ed above, I cannot say that the new sys-
tem was  successful. A readjustment of 
the new system has already been pro-
posed, but it will be very difficult to re-
vise it because it will be the new Diet 
members elected under the new system 
who will be responsible for its revision. 
   The turnout of voters this time  was 
about sixty percent. It was nearly the 
lowest percentage since the end of the 
war. People's indifference toward poli-
tics is serious now. It is easy to say 
that people lack all sense of responsibil-
ity, but more than that, politicians 
should recognize that their lack of fixed 
principles has accelerated people's  i  n--
         "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 25 
difference.  Mr: Hashimoto of the L.  D. P. 
will be designated the Prime Minister 
early next month after much meandering. 
The most important mission for him is 
to regenerate trust in politics which is 
now lost. (MIKIHIKO YOSHIMOTO, Gifu) 
   The other day, I viewed the debate 
between United States' candidates for 
president on television.  I was envious of 
Americans because they can choose 
whom to vote for on the basis of those 
debates. The present state of Japan's 
democracy seems far behind that. Japan 
has been controlled by bureaucrats and 
politicians for about fifty years, since 
the closing of the general headquarters 
 (GHQ) of the victorious allied countries. 
At present,  I think many people feel that 
some changes are necessary in the polit-
ical system to make this nation better. 
   To me, what politicians do in the Di-
et can be described as follows. They in-
troduce a bill that has been prepared by 
bureaucrats, engage in discussions ac-
cording to a schedule and pass  it by a 
majority of votes. During the discussion, 
politicians of opposiion parties have the 
right to speak, but they usually seem to 
be satisfied by simply delivering their 
remarks. The number of members of the 
ruling coalition parties is larger than 
that of the opposition parties, so  it is 
quite clear that everything will proceed 
as scheduled. 
 1 think politicians should give peo-
ple more information. The lack of real 
debates keeps us uninformed.  •For exam-
ple,when the law was passed to increase 
the consumption tax rate  _from three to 
five percent, important negotiations 
were carried on among  .ruling parties be-
hind closed doors. So we still don't know 
what would be the result if it were not 
increased. They didn't indicate whether 
there was any alternative, either. They 
didn't explain why they decided on five 
percent. I think seven percent or more 
was mentioned and I wonder if they
---------------------[End of Page 25]---------------------
26 JANUARY 19, 1997 
thought they could pass the bill easier if 
a higher figure was publicized earlier. 
   During their election campaigns, 
politicians make too many promises. We 
are getting tired of hearing attractive 
promises which only last until the elec-
tion.  It is worse that we are getting 
used to seeing them break their promis-
es. What they are doing is playing a po-
litical game. If they win one election, 
they then begin thinking how to win the 
next one, trying to do whatever is needed 
to maintain their positions. If they de-
cide to do something for the future of 
the country, it must be good for all citi-
zens, but as a matter of fact, they are 
usually concerned only about themselves 
or the people  of' their district. . 
   What we need most in our political 
system are statesmen who seriously 
think of our future. Many people think 
atomic power plants are necessary and 
people don't oppose their construction  if, 
though they are big, they are built far 
from their homes. The same is true in an 
election. Unfortunately, good things for 
Japan's future are not necessarily wel-
comed by the voters, if they are against 
their particular benefits. 
   Therefore, it is not only a problem 
of politicians, but also of voters. The 
late Mr. Michio  Watanabe, former Minis-
ter of Foreign Affairs, once dared to say 
that politicians' qualities reflect their 
voters' qualities, when asked if he felt 
ashamed when his improprieties were 
pointed out. During the long feudal sys-
tem in Japan, people got used to laws 
that came from the lord. Our democratic 
system also came from the lord,  GHQ, 
along with the Constitution. This sys-
tem was not introduced by the people's 
will. Therefore, it will take more time 
to change people's consciousness of be-
ing a member of a democratic society. 
When  voters' way of thinking is changed, 
 real. democracy will be established in 
Japan. 
 (TOSHlAKI MIYAKE, Tsuzuki, Yokohama)
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
   The Liberal Democratic Party won 
the general election held last September. 
I  understand' the Japanese people tend to 
prefer a conservative party to an ex-
tremely progressive party even though 
about half of them neglected to vote. 
   However, there are many political 
scandals relating to money. There seem 
to be more such cases recently than in 
past days. I believe strictness is neces-
sary in the political world in particular. 
 1 am afraid many scandals occurring in 
the political world might be caused by 
the lack of self-confidence of the politi-
cians themselves. It might be caused by 
their own immorality or their excessive 
concern for popularity. If that is so, none 
of them  will be. able to satisfy all people 
 because. that means that none of them 
has the necessary temperament required 
of a statesman in today's political 
world. It is to be hoped that they try to 
train themselves to be respectable 
statesmen at all times. 
    (HARUJI FUKUMI, Minami, Nagoya) 
   Japan's general election is over! The 
fifty-nine percent turnout of voters was 
the lowest in history. Was it because of 
a distrustful administration? If that is 
the case--all are trustworthy politi-
cians, it is unnecessary for citizens to 
vote. Accordingly, the turnout of voters 
decreases, doesn't it? 
   Who is making efforts to increase 
the turnout for elections? If it is  pri-
vate enterprises, that should have been 
examined long ago. The main cause for 
bewilderment at the recent election was 
in regard to the special system of double 
candidacy, that served as a safety mea-
sure, similar to students who sit for en-
trance examinations at several second-
ary schools or universities in Japan so 
they can enter one even if they fail at 
another. In the double candidacy system, 
it is said that a candidate can be re-
turned even if he was defeated. That is 
strange and funny!
---------------------[End of Page 26]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997 
   We saw many candidates who used 
certain tactics and a fail-safe strategy, 
utilizing the double candidacy system to 
their advantage but the constituent body 
was puzzled about how to select the 
best candidate. The loud voices from 
campaigning speakers had nothing inter-
esting to say--only ear-splitting  an-
nouncements of the candidate's name as 
the vehicle moved along. Although every 
political clique raised the issue of ad-
ministrative reform, there was no clear 
vision for the 21st century. 
   Democracy requires responsible vot-
ers. If in the U. S. candidates acted in the 
way they do here, they would be beaten 
because of  their disruption of quiet 
neighborhoods.  In the U. S., local televi-
sion stations broadcast discussions by 
candidates, even in local elections. PTAs 
hold get-togethers to listen to  candi-
dates' speeches, inviting all candidates. 
Newspapers daily report on topics relat-
ed to candidates and their constituent 
bodies, according to William Andrew 
Torinen, who came to Japan from Seattle 
in the U. S. and is now serving at the  In-
ternational Exchange Institute in  Ichino-
miya City. 
   From the next election, they should 
revise the procedure and eliminate the 
double candidacy system. The most im-
portant role for the new assemblymen is 
to make a stable  system of government 
which is suitable for the 21st century. 
Considering the present political situa-
tion, the most important matter  which 
the politicians are overlooking is who 
protects Japan! 
          (JAIME IWAI, Owariasahi) 
   I would like to look at things from a 
long-range perspective. In the middle of 
 the'19th  century,• some Japanese  govern-
ment  leaders. had a chance to see other 
civilized nations when they went to 
America and Europe for the first time. 
What astonished them most was that the 
foreign nations had democratic  govern-
          "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 27 
ments. Since then, Japan has made every 
effort to catch up with those Western 
models of civilization, including their de-
mocracy. In the course of development, 
however, the Japanese military became 
so obsessed with fanatic jingoism that 
they went so far as to lead the nation to 
defeat in World War H. 
   The defeat marked the birth of mod-
ern democracy in Japan. The Constitution 
promulgated in  1946 showed the main 
direction Japan should take. Half a cen-
tury has passed without belligerent acts 
against any nation and Japan has enjoyed 
unprecedented affluence. Throughout 
that peaceful period, democracy was ex-
pected to take root, but what actually 
happened fell short of  the expectation. 
   Consider the recent election for the 
House of Representatives conducted  un-
der a new system. It provided  single-
seat constituencies and a proportional 
representation system combined. The 
system was originally designed to the 
advantage of big parties and to the  dis-
advantage of small parties. Eventually, 
after the event some candidates who 
lost a seat in the single seat constitu-
ency won a seat through the proportional 
representation system. Some people dis-
dain such candidates. Some of them ad-
vocate revising the new election system. 
One of the problems of grave concern is 
that the result does not correctly re-
flect people's opinions about crucial is-
sues of the times. The fact that the vot-
er turnout was the lowest ever reveals 
that people are too wise to be at the 
beck and call of those politicians dubbed 
Nagata-cho residents who managed to 
make the new system with a fanfare un-
der the pretext of so-called "political 
reform".. In the last  • analysis, I would 
like to point out that we have to see to 
it that we can see fair play in the gener-
al election because the present system 
is far from just. 
 (SHOJI SUGIMOTO, Suginami, Tokyo)
---------------------[End of Page 27]---------------------
28 JANUARY 19, 1997 
   Whenever an election of  representa-
tives is over, what concerns me is not 
only the results of the election but the 
voting rate. In this election, under the 
new electoral system in Japan, the vot-
ing rate was 59.7 percent, the lowest so 
far.  Incidentally, the American general 
election this year also recorded its low-
est voting rate (49 percent) since 1924. 
   Many Japanese people among those 
who did not join in the election say quite 
the same thing when asked the reason 
for their not having voted. "Whoever may 
be elected, it will make little differ-
ence." I feel very sorry to hear this kind 
of opinion. If every voter in Japan should 
think this way, democracy in this coun-
try would collapse  and that would cause 
not a little difference but a big  differ-
ence. We Japanese have become so ac-
customed to a peaceful society under our 
present democracy that we have taken 
the benefit of democracy for granted and 
even forgotten its importance. 
   Although I myself was born after 
democracy was introduced and have not 
experienced war, I feel very fearful 
when I think of war. The nation which 
does not permit people to say "No" and 
does not inform them of the truth easily 
takes them or their loved ones away to 
the battlefields. My father was  .forced 
to spend seven years of his youth in the 
army, having been dispatched to many 
places ranging from China to several  i  s-
lands off Australia. In a battle on Timor 
Island, 71 soldiers among the 206 in his 
 company were killed and after fierce 
fighting on Guadalcanal Island, among 
the 99 soldiers in his company, only 21, 
including him, came back alive. The Bat-
tle of Guadalcanal became the first step 
in the defeat of Japan in that war. Ac-
cording to the statistics of the Defense 
Agency, of the  31,400 soldiers who  land-
ed there, 20,800 died, but about 15,000 
died of starvation, malaria, malnutrition 
diarrhea, beriberi and debility, not as a 
result of actual combat. What a great
             "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
number of precious  lives  _were vainly 
lost for the crazy nation! 
   I cannot read without tears the book 
my father has relating to the battle ac-
counts there. It is a thick, heavy book, 
published 28 years after the war and 
took 8 years to compile by many veter-
ans of each company in the  infantry 
mat he belonged to. It contains true re-
cords and facts about every battle they 
fought from  1939 to  1945. At the end of 
the book, one of the many writers, an ex-
company commander, wrote: "Nothing is 
more cruel than war. We must not make 
a mistake like this again and we must 
try to realize a peaceful society. That  i s 
the duty of us survivors of the war and 
also our descendants." 
   I feel keenly that Japan's democracy 
is based on the sacrifice of many peo-
ple's lives who were not allowed to say 
"No." A nation is like a living thing that 
can soon become mad without its citi-
zen's good consideration and control. We 
must improve the condition of this 
strange creature with the cooperation of 
us all. Elections are the only way we 
can participate in, support and check our 
democracy. Before criticizing the pres-
ent Japanese politicians, we should be 
 conscientious voters, not criticizers, 
and do our best to avoid any more wars 
on the earth. 
(KIKUKO KU  WA  HA  RA, Nakagawa,Nagoya)
 *************************
November 5 Message  (Subject#319)
    In many ways, the United States is 
considered to be progressive, rational 
and innovative. But in  at least one area, 
it appears to be conservative, irrational 
and backward.  .It is the only  technologi-
cally advanced country in the world 
where the metric system is  not in  gener-
al use. Actually, the metric system is
---------------------[End of Page 28]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997
the nation's official system, but it  i  s 
generally ignored by most citizens, who 
prefer an old, complicated English sys-
tem of miles, yards, feet and inches, gal-
lons, quarts and pints, pounds and ounc-
es. In Japan, the metric system is in 
general use, but such terms as ken, 
shaku, sun, tsubo, koku,  sh6 and  gO con-
tinue to be used at times, especially in 
certain areas. The metric system and 
the traditional measurement system is 
the suggested theme for an essay.  What 
are the advantages of the former? Why 
is the latter still used in some cases? 
Do you ever use terms related to the old 
system? What thoughts or memories do 
you have related to these measurement 
systems?
 *************************
   In the  1930s, when I  was an elemen-
tary school boy, people in general used 
the traditional system more than the 
new metric system. At school, our teach-
er told our class to convert shaku- relat-
ed numbers into meter-related numbers 
and vice-versa as exercises in arithme-
tic. Then I was completely unaware that 
Japan joined other nations that adopted 
the new metric system as early as  1885. 
About half a century after that adoption 
of the new metric system, people still 
preferred the old system to the new one. 
Why? It is because the old system was 
based on the width of the human hand or 
foot or steps, while the new metric sys-
tem was based on  1/40 millionth of the 
longitude of the globe. The latter is cold 
and distant because it is artificially 
made, while people are easily accus-
tomed to the former due to their famil-
iarity with it. 
   Brought up in the transition period 
from the traditional system to the new 
one, I know both the old and new sys-
tems. And yet, I am still inclined to 
rely on the  old system when I want to
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
29
get a concrete idea of what the area  of—a 
given piece of land is. How many tsubo 
indicates the area to me  . more clearly 
than how many square meters. 
   Though the traditional system is 
dwindling as time passes, the two sys-
tems will go hand in hand for some time 
to come and we must put up with some 
inconveniences involved. 
  (SHOJI SUGIMOTO, Suginami, Tokyo)
   It appears that the introduction of 
the metric system into Japan has been 
more successful compared to the situ-
ation in the United States. We use me-
ters, liters and grams as units for meas-
uring in our daily lives. However, when 
you look at fliers of real estate deliv-
ered with a newspaper, you immediately 
notice that we still stick to the tradi-
tional units of tsubo and  [6. The former 
is the unit of land area and must be used 
with the equivalent in square meters ac-
cording to the law. On the other hand, 
the figures in the latter unit is not as-
sociated with those in the metric sys-
tem.  JO was originally used to express 
the number of  tatami, or straw mats, 
and it has been used to indicate room 
space. According to the figures in JO, 
we can imagine the room size even when 
there are no mats in a Western style 
room. These days, the size of  tatami has 
gotten smaller than before. Therefore, 
we are occasionally fooled and receive a 
false impression of the size of the room 
advertised in the fliers. 
   When I drove a car in the U. S. A., as 
speed limits were posted in miles per 
hour, such as 50, I didn't need to change 
this number into kilometers per hour. 
However, there were some cases that I 
wanted to change into the metric system 
in order to make comparisons. For exam-
ple, when I wanted to know the gas  mile-
age in kilometers per liter, it took me a 
while to change the unit from miles per 
gallon. The same was true in regard to 
engine size. It was hard for me to change
---------------------[End of Page 29]---------------------
30 JANUARY 19, 1997 
from cubic inches into cubic centimeters 
without a calculator. On television and 
in newspapers in the U. S. A., tempera-
tures are reported only in Fahrenheit. 
Because of the complicated equation, I 
gave up changing them into Celsius and 
tried to get used to  ft. Now, I am not 
surprised to hear of the scorching  95-
degree summer heat in Arizona. 
   In our laboratory here, we use an 
apparatus made in the U. S. A. with two 
pressure gauges, which show the inner 
pressure in pounds per square inch. So 
we always have to multiply the observed 
values by 0.07. For example, 50 pounds 
per square inch means 3.5 atoms, or kilo-
grams per square centimeter. The unit of 
atom seems to be easier to recognize for 
me. Examples of American ways of meas-
uring are not limited to scientific devic-
es. We may see them on the shelves in 
stores. Many labels are printed in ounces 
(oz.), pounds (lb.) and quarts (qt.) on vari-
ous foods from the U. S. As the contain-
ers are manufactured in keeping with the 
traditional system, the additional fig-
ures in milliliters or grams on the labels 
are always irregular. Though it is better 
than having no additions, it is inconveni-
ent when you want to compare their 
prices with those of Japanese products. 
   I think that the persistence of a tra-
ditional measuring system is all right as 
long as it is used locally, such as  jó here 
and "miles  per hour" there. It will help to 
preserve and respect traditional culture. 
 In some ways, the Japanese attitude to-
ward accepting the metric system was 
too strict. The total ban on using tradi-
tional measuring devices made it diffi-
cult to get traditional products. Thus 
we can learn something from American 
ways of thinking toward their culture. 
We should not forget that we have lost a 
lot of cultural background since the adop-
tion of the metric system. Cultural im-
portance cannot be measured by the new 
convenient  system. 
(TOSHIAKI  MIYAKE, Tsuzuki, Yokohama)
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
   Civilizations came into existence  in 
several places in the world separately 
without any connection between them. 
Languages, for example, began to be used 
almost spontaneously and independently 
in every area. Therefore, it is quite nat-
ural that they are different from each 
other. The same rule applies in the case 
of measurement systems. 
   The traditional measurement system 
of our country is the  shaku-kan-ho (sys-
tem). Our ancestors adopted shaku as a 
unit of length and kan as a unit of weight 
They were introduced from China by way 
of Korea and were established by the 
 Taihei-ritsury6 in 701. But there was no 
unified standard and there were differ-
ences, depending on the region, usage and 
period. This was especially so concern-
ing shaku.  It was the Meiji government 
that enacted the "Weight and Measures 
Law" and determined that 33 shaku was 
equal to  10 meters. Following its enact-
ment, the  shaku-kan-ho was used to-
gether with the metric system for about 
half a century until 1951 when the 
traditional units were generally abol-
ished upon enactment of the  "Measure-
ment Law". 
   The "yard-pound system" is used 
mainly in Great Britain and the United 
States. Once there was a difference be-
tween them (imperial units and avoirdu-
pois units), but they were unified in 
1959. This system is authorized by  la  w 
in the  States. along  : with the metric 
system. In keeping with international-
ization, both countries have decided to 
proceed to the metric system and Great 
Britain, in particular, intends to replace 
pounds by kilograms by 1999. 
   In spite of the endeavors of all gov-
ernments, it seems very difficult to 
change the consciousness of people who 
have become accustomed to the use of 
traditional measurement systems both 
in the East and the West. We find it very 
troublesome to use the duodecimals of 
the yard-pound system, but it does not
---------------------[End of Page 30]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997
bother people using that system. The 
yard unit is still used in golf. Use of this 
unit is confusing to our brains because  i  t 
is perhaps the only case for us Japanese 
to use the unit in our daily lives. 
   Attachment to the traditional sys-
tem is also a problem for us. The  shaku-
kan-h6 is deeply impressed in our minds. 
Our language would become poorer if we 
could not use such expressions as  issue 
no mushi  n/mo gobu no tamashii (tread 
on a worm and it will turn), go-shaku no 
inochi (a man's life), hyakkan-debu (an 
extreme fatty), ichiri-zuka (a milepost) 
and so on. The unit which is most insep-
arable from our daily life is tusbo. Tsubo 
is the basic unit to measure land area. 
We usually use the expression "per 3.3 
centiare" in land dealings, but everyone 
knows that such a conversion is quite 
purposeless for the promotion of the 
metric system. It is an outcome of ne-
cessity. Another peculiar unit is monme, 
which is used for the weighing of pearls. 
This traditional unit is also inseparable 
from the pearl business and is still used 
universally. This shows that pearls are 
our special product, even today. 
   Measurement systems are manifes-
tations of a nation's culture. On the oth-
er hand, diverse systems are incompati-
ble with internationalization. We should 
make efforts to solve this contradiction. 
      (MIKIHIKO YOSHIMOTO, Gifu)
 In my childhood, in the  1930s, the 
metric system was introduced. Nowa-
days, that system is generally used in 
our daily lives, but I am still accus-
tomed to using the following terms 
which are related to the old system: 
tsubo, shaku,  sun, ken, go and  shO. 
   In Japanese houses located in urban 
as well as rural areas,  tatami rooms are 
still popular. The size of a  tatami is one 
ken  x•  a half-ken. Two tatami form one 
tsubo. One ken equals six shaku and one 
shaku equals ten sun. Thus, the Japanese 
traditional measurement terms are re-
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES 31
lated to tatami. I think those terms will 
not disappear as long as  tatami  survive. 
   On the other hand, go and  sho are 
measurement terms related to volume, 
mainly used for rice and sake. In liquor 
shops, we often see so-called  one-sho 
bottles whereas paper packages are 
more popular these days. As in the case 
of tatami, I think the traditional terms, 
 gO and  sho, will not fade away as long as 
 one-shO or  one-go bottles remain  i  n 
shops and homes. 
   The old terms,  go and  silo, remind 
me of the difficult food situation of my 
young days. During the war, we suffered 
from a shortage of daily necessities.  I  n 
regard to food, we school boys and girls 
were supplied with only two  go and 
three shaku of rice per day. One  gO 
equals ten shaku. (This shaku has a 
different  kanji  than the shaku related to 
length.) Two  gO and three shaku corres-
pond to 0.41 liter.  ,Even though we ate 
some other supplementary foods, like 
vegetables, the quantity was very small. 
Thus, we were always hungry and always 
eager to eat whatever we could. It was 
miserable, but there was one benefit 
from that pitiful situation. We avoided 
the illnesses caused by the stomach-fill-
ing foods which characterize daily life 
today. This difficult but valuable exper-
ience makes me believe that "no food or 
too much food makes life shorter, while 
a little food makes people healthy." 
   (HARUJI FUKUMI, Minami, Nagoya)
   When  I. was young, the old measure-
ment system was still being used. We 
bought rice by the  sh6 (=0.477 U. S. 
gallon) or  go (=0.381 U. S. pint) which 
was the Japanese measure of volume. 
Farmers also sold their rice products us-
ing the unit of  hyO (bag, bale or sack) or 
to (=4.765 U. S. gallons). 
   In the art of making kimonos, kujira 
jaku, literally meaning a whale measure-
ment, was used.  Kujira-jaku is a meas-
ure of length used exclusively by  Japa-
---------------------[End of Page 31]---------------------
 32 JANUARY 19, 1997 
nese dressmakers. It is equal to 1.26 
 shaku (37.88 cm.) of the metal measure 
 shaku, called  kane-jaku. The origin of 
the word  kujira-jaku is unknown, but it 
is certain that it was originally made of 
the barbel of a whale. Speaking of kujira 
jaku, I remember that Rokusuke Ei, a po-
et and television performer, once advo-
cated organizing a campaign to promote 
the use of  kujira-jaku in an attempt to 
defend traditional customs. 
   Tatami vary in size from place to 
place.  Kylima, literally meaning Kyoto 
measure, has the largest dimensions for 
a room, measuring  6.5 shaku (197 cm.) 
between pillars, whereas inakama, now 
the most prevalent  room-size, measure 
 6.0 shaku (182 cm.) between pillars. 
   Japan replaced the old measurement 
system with the metric system  after 
World War II simultaneously  throughout 
the country. But, as you can easily imag-
ine, it was not an easy task, not only for 
the elderly but for young people also, to 
abandon the old system and adopt a new 
one. On the other hand, the United States 
of America, which has led the world in 
many fields, is neglecting to adopt the 
metric system and clings to the old 
measurement system with its pounds, 
gallons, inches and miles. I wonder why 
Americans cling to the old measurement 
system so  tenaciously.  is America such 
a laissez-faire country that people can 
choose any measurement according to 
their own preference? 
          (SHOJI DOMAE,  Kasugai) 
   The word "measurement" brings the 
name Amitabha Buddha to my mind. It is 
the Sanskrit name of the Buddha that is 
known as Amidabutsu in Japan. The lit-
eral meaning of  Amitabha is unmeasured 
(a-mita) light (abha). Etymologically, 
the word mita is derived from the verb 
 mi, which shares the same root as the 
English words "measure" and "meter". 
Both English and Sanskrit belong to the 
 Indo-European family of languages. He is
                            y-i 
              "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 
the Buddha (the Enlightened One) who re-
sides in the Western Paradise which is 
filled with unmeasurably brilliant light. 
It is the world of perfect peace and hap-
piness without any sorrow or sadness. 
Devout Buddhists chant his name and 
meditate on the Western Paradise where 
they eagerly hope to be born in the next 
life. It is also called  Gokuraku-Ado (the 
pure land of extreme happiness).  Ado 
 Shinsho, one of the largest  Buddhist 
sects in Japan, emphasizes that para-
dise is only attainable through the great 
mercy of Amitabha Buddha, not by their 
own effort. Any deliberate religious  cer-
emony, severe ascetic practice or  philo-
sophical study is not enough to realize 
their hope to be born there. 
   I feel in this material world we can-
not free ourselves from the fetter of 
"measurement". One's wealth is meas-
ured by the amount of one's bank account 
or the size of one's house. A student's 
ability is measured by test scores. The 
importance of a worker is measured by 
the salary. Even when we die, mourners 
who attend the funeral ceremony count 
the number of priests and talk about how 
the ceremony was magnificent. Could 
that be considered a  _yardstick_ of the 
success of the deceased's life? Indeed, 
this world is filled with stress and an-
xiety because the value of one's life is 
decided by many kinds of measures. How 
far our world is from Amitabha Buddha's 
paradise! 
     (HARUKI TANAKA, Owariasahi) 
   Do you know what the longest  Eng-  • 
lish word is? This is one of the quizzes 
I sometimes give my students to relieve 
their tiredness. The answer is "smiles". 
This word is much longer than any other 
English word because there is a "mile" 
between the first and last s. Sometimes 
a  few students give me the correct an-
swer,  having. heard that quiz before, but 
most of them do not know how long a 
mile is.
1
---------------------[End of Page 32]---------------------
JANUARY 19, 1997 
-- Long ago, one of my acquaintances, 
who had spent seven years in Texas be-
cause of her husband's work, said to me, 
"During our stay in the States, we some-
times enjoyed driving a car at the speed 
of  100 miles an hour". "Oh,  100 miles an 
hour", I nodded. Expressing it in terms 
of kilometers, I was greatly surprised. 
"That's  160 kilometers an hour!" Here in 
Japan, there are no roads on which we 
can enjoy driving at such a speed.  It  was 
at that time that  1 realized that one  mile 
equals  1609 meters.  Of course, we had 
to take the different  circumstances. into 
consideration. In the U. S., they could 
drive seeing only the horizon and the 
cotton fields in the South. 
   In those days, a folk song titled 
"500 Miles" was very popular in the 
States. Many young Japanese hearts 
also were attracted by both the melody 
and the words. But if the title had been 
"500 Kilometers", it would not have fit 
well with the lyrics and slow tempo of 
that song. The sound of the word "mile" 
is much softer and similar to the Japa-
nese word mairu, a humble form of "go". 
"Mile has the meaning of a distance of 
 1000 steps, considering the  steps of the 
right and left foot as one step. Like this 
word, other traditional units of measure-
ment in both English and Japanese are 
derived from terms related to parts of 
the body or things used in daily life. 
 If Americans prefer an old, compli-
cated measurement system in spite of 
having an easier system, they probably 
feel something more than rationality  i  n 
the traditional troublesome system. To 
insist on thorough rationalization is 
sure to face a crisis some day.  'Living in 
an extremely advanced, progressive, inno-
vative, rational and perfect society  will 
suffocate us as we are neither comput-
ers nor robots. To have some irrational 
areas in our lives may be very important 
to make us feel at home because we are 
creatures with an irrational nature. 
(KIKUKO  KUWAHARA,Nakagawa,Nagoya)
       "DAILY WORD" ECHOES 33 
  A BRIEF HISTORY OF "DAILY  WORD" 
    1/1/79 "Daily  Word"s predecessor, 
 Kyo no Messeji,  (0566-52-2732) in Jap-
anese began from Takahama Church using 
"answer phone" machine (book of these 
daily messages, Kokoro no  Sanpei-michi, 
published December 1994 by Kirisuto 
 Shinbunsha) 
    9/1/80 "Daily Word"  (052-794-
6422) began from Nagoya residence using 
same method 
    4/26/81 First meeting of listeners 
    10/3/81 Began sending out printed 
copies of messages 
    8/29/82 First issue of "Daily 
Word" Echoes 
 9/21/83 Second  telephone/"answer 
phone" installed to handle more calls 
 2/1/86 Telephones purchased by 
NTT; "Daily Word" became NTT service; 
taped/ transmitted on NTT equipment 
    1/88 "Daily Word" messages  intro= 
duced into  NTT's CAPTAIN system 
 1/89 Daily  Word,  textbook for  uni.,f 
versity students, published (Hokuseido) 
 12/90 "Daily Word" messages  in-
troduced into the English Forum of  NIF-7 
TY-Serve computer network 
 1/91 Ofuna-  Hakase no  Deiri-  Wa-
do, high school text, published (Biseisha) 
    10/30/92 Messages began to be re-
corded on chip instead of on tape; must 
be called in daily 
 1/93 "Daily Word" messages be-
came available in Braille at St. Michael's 
English Library for the Blind (Kobe) 
    10/93 Japanese translations of 
messages from  NIFTY-Serve made avail-
able for general listeners/readers 
    3/96 On Internet (NAMOS home-
page):  http://www.namos.co.jp/clark/ 
   January 19, 1997 = message #5596; 
Weekly copy #780; "Daily Word" Echoes 
#55; Listeners Meeting #65; Total num-
ber of calls (9/80-12/96)=782,729; Av-
erage per day: 131; Record number of 
calls in one day: 5224  (1  /14/88)
---------------------[End of Page 33]---------------------