',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 between
October 1 and November 5, 1996. Corrected and edited by Clark Offner.)
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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.
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For the last few years I've been fascinated
with fables. They are pure, lovely
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 English
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 people
and always gave orders. To him, all
people were subjects. On the second asteroid
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 characteristics.
This fable stimulates us to
reflect on ourselves.
This year is the centennial anniversary
of the birth of Kenji Miyazawa. His
fables reflect a pure conscience and love
for others. Characters such as a scorpion
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 famous
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. According
to the article, this was a fable
of a new type of modern age. I recognized
the meaning, but I felt a little sad
and somewhat disappointed. The ideas
2 JANUARY 19, 1997
of Miyazawa and Wilde may not
tical, but still they are most
and fascinating to me.
(TOSHIYUKI KOTERAZAWA,
be pracattractive
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 history,
especially of our country.
My first contact with ancient history
was through a book titled Uzumoreta
Kin-in (The Buried Gold Seal), which I
read in my high school days. An old Chinese
history book, Gokan-jo, records that
an envoy of a small country, Na, in Kyushu
was given a gold seal on which was
carved "King of Na" by Kobu-tei, an emperor
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 Nihonshoki
are two great history books which
we can value as messengers from ancient
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, besides
the above-mentioned Gokan-jo,
which depict the situation of our country
in ancient times. Among them, Gishiwajin-
den is the most famous and important.
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 controversy
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 investigation
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 ancient
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 retire
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 Hiroshi
Oguri. One more I have read repeatedly
is a volume of short stories by 0.
Henry in English. I feel his compassion
in them which we should not forget. Recently,
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 newspapers.
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
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 behind
in regard to advances made in chemistry.
In addition to such academic publications,
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 Chicago
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 readers
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 researcher.
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 recently
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 Columbus
Dispatch along the way, readers
of the newspaper could share his experiences
during that period. Soon after the
completion of his journey, my friend who
lived in Columbus sent me a letter, informing
me that he had happened to meet
Steven Newman in a shopping mall and
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
3
had a chance....t.o 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 sometimes
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 children
has been evident.
When I was in my 20's, 1 read Le
Comte de Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas,
during one summer vacation. I got
so excited that I stayed up late to read
this long novel in two volumes in Japanese.
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 Gankutsu-
Oh in Japanese.
4 JANUARY 19, 1997
?
One of my favorite novels by a Japanese
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 newspaper.
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 before
the next issue arrives. I look up
words in my English-Japanese dictionary,
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 Buddhist
sutras. In order to give a talk at
Church School, I read the Bible and reference
books to try to help pupils understand
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, fort
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
tunately, was admitted after some brief
tests. However, the circumstances of
my daily life were extremely poor compared
to that in KeijO. Food, clothes,
writing materials and all other daily necessities
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 Confess").
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 refreshment
for me. The book really rescued
me from the depths of despair that
I experienced at that time. Doppo Kunikida
is not so well-known as Soseki Natsume
or Ougai Mori, but he is my favorite
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 appropriate
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,
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 maintained,
India may have the world's largest
population, 2 billion, in 2025, surpassing
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 aquifers
in the southern Great Plains, the deforestation
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 Mainichi
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 Indonesia
for about fourteeh years, so I have a
special concern for that country. Suharto
has governed the nation for about thirty
years, but that is too long. There is a
saying, "when the stream stops running,
the water will go bad". His family members
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 Letter'
from Burma" by Aung San Suu Kyi. I
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES 5
admire her beautiful sensitive sentences.
Six years ago, her group won a landslide
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 Kurata
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 Tenko,
the leader of the religious group lttoen.
I once followed Nishida's voluntary
movement, cleaning the graveyards in I ndonesia.
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 ntimate
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 transla6
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 housekeeping
chores by hand and stayed up until
late, making clothes for my family. I
had no time to enjoy reading books. I
just tried to read those magazines useful
for housekeeping or helpful for raising
children. Time passed. The boys
grew up and left home. Then I came to
realize that I was too ignorant of worldly
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 experienced
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 discern
what to improve and what to preserve.
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 "Letters
Column" of Asahi Weekly, the contributions
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 introductions
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 especially
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 lottery
prize.
By the way, I used to read The Mainichia
long time ago, but I soon gave up
reading it because it was too difficult
for my ability. I hope to continue reading
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 announced
her retirement. Until reading
the explanation given in this column,
could not understand her feeling well
even after listening to or reading an in.
JANUARY1 9, 1997
terview with her. Tensei Jingo explained
her retirement in relation to the retirement
of the 17-year-old Chinese high
diver who won a gold medal in the Atlantic
Olympics. I realized once again that
the time of retirement is a very important
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, Shiba
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 answer.
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 series
of his essays carried in current issues
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 prevailed
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 Confucianism,
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 admiration.(
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 information
to increase our knowledge but also
encourage us to lead a spiritually better
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 listening.
Although listening to the message
helps us increase our listening comprehension,
I find more advantages in
reading them. For example, I can read at
my own pace. Of course, I like Dr. Offner'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 passages.
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
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 Central
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 independent
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 occurred
during the trip. At that time, I
was working for a computer company and
the time to write was quite limited, so I
,,tooka bouto ney eart o completeth e 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 pleasure
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, according
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)
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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 destroyed
about 18,000 buildings over
some 850 hectares of land, causing almost
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, Wisconsin,
leaving some 600 dead. The theme
suggested for an essay is "Fire". The discovery
of how to make fire was important
in the development of civilization
and some religions consider fire as divine.
According to the 3rd chapter of Exodus,
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, memories
or ideas do you have related to it?
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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 supermarket
in front of our house. The road was
wide and the wind was not blowing in
JANUARY 19, 1997
_our direction. Many fire engines came
and our parking space served as a temporary
fire station. The fire was put out
after one hour.
3) This event, which happened near
our house, I don't like to remember because
it was an insurance fraud making
use of fire. A furrier planned it and took
out high-priced furs to another place before
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 because
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 thirtysix
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 affection
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 unpleasant
memories of fire. Towards the
end of the Pacific War, bombings by the
"DAILYW ORD" ECHOES 9
American bombers became increasingly
severe. Most of the big cities were swallowed
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 uneducated
and quite selfish minds. And
they correspond, respectively, to heaven
and hell.
(HARUJI FUKUMI, Minami, Nagoya)
There are some ways by which human
beings are distinguished from animals,
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 India
last year, I had a chance to see
chapel of a religion where fire was actually
venerated as a divinity. Zoroastrianism
was introduced into China in
the 5th century and was called KenkyO,
but it never came to Japan. (Some scholars
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 history.
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 surprised
and disappointed to experience
their life without gas. Not to mention
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 bamboo
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, destroying
our civilized society. Fires have
damaged a great number of houses
throughout the world. This has been particularly
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 Metropolitan
Fire Board as chief of the Inspecting
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 purpose.
?During the week, I made an inspection
tour of department stores, etc.
in the uniform of a fire department official.
Of course, I had no technical knowledge.
It was a sort of demonstration.
Newspapers reported the event with a
"pFhiorteo gPrarepvhe ntoiof nt heW esecke nhea, s breepgournt"ing that . 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 Dondoyaki,
is held around January 14 or 15 at
"DAILY WORD" ECHOES
many places in this country. People bring
straw festoons or New Year's decorations
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 (waterdrawing
ceremony). The sacred water
which was sent from Wakasa, Fukui in
the previous week reaches T6daiji Temple
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, drawing
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 Zoroastrians
of Persia did, but we try to expel
what is wicked and get rid of what i s
corrupt by the force of fire. In addition,
these customs imply that Japanese people
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 television
accompanying a news report on the
big fire after the Hanshin-Awaji EarthJANUARY
19, 1997
quake on January 17, 1995. 1 realized it
was true that fire can destroy everything
whereas thieves only steal something
precious from one's house.
Another natural big fire which recently
impressed me was the fire in Yellowstone
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 unless
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 pictures
of the park recovering faster than
people had previously expected.
On the other hand, people often set
fires intentionally to destroy the environment.
I was shocked to see an enormous
flame in a picture of the dark Amazon
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 memories
concerning his gold medal, he accomplished
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 although
she was born in the time of. material
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 Nagashi-
bina, and actually she did so.
Fire and water, as well as many other
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 given
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 considered
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 everything.
This summer, on the evening of August
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
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 anger,
rebuke or punishment, even though
they approach him askingJor help or forgiveness.
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 deteriorates
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 kettle
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 electromagnetic
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 advice,
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 sensitive
to being humiliated that we cannot
follow the preferred method to prevent
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 behavior
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 children
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 benJANUARY
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 Kyoto
for the first time in my life. My initial
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 destroyed
by a fire almost 30 years previously,
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 restaurant
and a steward working there left
an iron heated, which was the origin of
the fire. How terrible this kind of carelessness
is. If we had no fire, we would
have fewer disasters, but we would remain
as primitive people. So let us
thank God for the fire of the sun, electricity,
gas and matches and for the w i sdom
to use and control them.
(KAZUKO TAGUCHI, Fukushima)
I always wonder why so many people
walk along the street with a lighted cigarette
in their hand. They seem totally
unaware that they are carrying something
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 realize
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 dangerous
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 simple.
When you smoke, be aware that you
are carrying a fire. When you stop smoking,
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 countless
lives plus valuable possessions.
In Zoroastrianism, fire is worshipped.
Some Buddhist temples in Japan
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 designated
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, including
fire-prevention are held to raise the
consciousness of the people against disasters.
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 indicates
that Kyoto, the capital of Japan
for many years, was devastated many
times by accidental fires or wartime
fires and almost all precious wooden
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 population
homeless and killing many people
and so was Tokyo in the Great Kanto
Earthquake. Especially the Great Hanshin
Earthquake in 1995 was quite astonishing
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 Japan
Red Cross Service Team and as a collaborator
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 dispensers.
Filling the bath tub with water
is desirable. To correctly counteract
fire with a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher
requires some technique. 1t
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 metropolitan
government issued helpful
guidelines on what to do during an earthquake:
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 outdoors.
4) Open the door to secure an exit.
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 necessary
first aid. 8) If an evacuation advisory
is issued, go by foot, carry a minimum
of necessities and cooperate with
others. 9) Follow official information;
don't act on rumors. 10) Emergency preparations
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 ling
to pay for the added prestige or sophistication
they represent. In the old
days, such containers were not needed
because of a unique Japanese article
which was much simpler and more convenient.
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 philosophy,
is flexible and can be used to carry
many different kinds of articles, for
its shape changes depending upon its contents
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 memories
does this word bring to your mind?
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 reference
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 originally
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. Furoshiki
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 Representatives
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 colloquial
phrase, oh-furoshiki o hirogeru (to
spread out a big wrapper), is applied to
an overly confident man who exaggerates,
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.
16 JANUARY 19, 1997
Most of the government delegates did the
same, following the example of their seniors.
I never saw a government delegate
carrying a briefcase for that purpose.
Although the furoshiki 's compactness
and flexibility still attract many
people, young people are seldom seen
using them these days. They are gradually
being replaced by handbags and shopping
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 formal
to wrap things in it when it was
made of silk. If one wore a kimono, it
went well with it. Therefore, the decreasing
opportunities of wearing kimono
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 categorize
the flag as a kind of furoshiki. Although
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 underwear
in a wrapping cloth bundle. Before
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 clothwrapped
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 necessary
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 wrapping
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 weddings.
I heard that at the Matsuzakaya Department
Store, they sold Utarhoro's furoshikis
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)
JANUARY 19, 1997
November 1st, after working at the
office, I went to see Mr. Hamada's painting
in an exhibition with Ms. Okumura.
(Both of them have become my friends
through the "Daily Word" listeners meetings.)
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 fitting
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 dressmaking
class, I used to wrap cloth materials
in a furoshiki to avoid wrinkling them
and then put them into a paper bag because
it was more convenient to carry
than just the furoshiki package. Furthermore,
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 advantages
such as saving materials by its repeated
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 repeatedly.
We should use it as much as possible,
rather than paper or plastic bags
given at supermarkets, to conserve materials
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 remind
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 Haranomachi
in 1964, my mother gave me a big
furoshiki, about 1.5 square meters, saying,
"If you have to take refuge in the
neighborhood in case of fire, it will be
useful to put in various kinds of valuables
and carry them on your back." Fortunately,
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 foreignmade
containers which are very popular
in Japan. Almost all Japanese wear
Western-style clothes and have handbags,
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 something.
But when we wear Japanese kimono
at commencement ceremonies or wedding
parties, we use furoshiki to wrap
our things in and for the take-home presents.
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 enormous
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, flexible,
reusable and come in various sizes,
18 JANUARY 19, 1997
the most reasonable container in the
world. (KAZUKO TAGUCHI, Fukushima)
I associate furoshiki with a funnysounding
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 preparations
many years ago.
Furoshiki had been chosen to introduce
the bride's name to the people, especially
those on the bridegroom's side.
On the noshi- paper on the little furoshiki
box, the bride's name was written in
fine calligraphy and added to other wedding
gifts prepared for each guest present
at the wedding ceremony.
As soon as my husband and I returned
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 daughter."
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, received
at their weddings long ago. When
I use them, I imagine those shy, innocent
brides who have become middle-aged, experienced
housewives or school-careeroriented
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 unchanged,
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 introduce
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 design
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, ohburoshiki
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 artistic
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)
JANUARY 19, 1997
I used to carry some books and documents
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 colleague
of mine asked me why I carried a
furoshiki instead of an ordinary bag like
other people used. I answered, as an advocate
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 reference
book which stated that on this day
(October 22nd) in 1933, a ringo jikenoccuffed
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 United
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 regarding
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, published
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 between
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 graduating
from KeiO University became a star
player of the Yomiuri Giants and, later,
the team manager) was the third baseman
on the Keio University team. An
apple was thrown from Waseda's cheering
section and landed on the ground near
Mizuhara. (At that time, Waseda supporters
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 incident
which we cannot talk about proudly.
The reason why a student threw the apple
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 Japanese
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 in20
JANUARY 19, 1997
troduction of the European apple, there
was already a fruit called ringo, which
had been introduced from China in ancient
days. This species is much smaller
and tastes sour. It bears a faint resemblance
to an apple. Even today, it is
called wa-ringo (Japanese ringo) or j iringo
(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. Therefore,
European apples are cultivated in
the northern part of our country. The Tohoku
District is the main area of apple
production. In my boyhood, the distribution
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 because
they were, needless to say, imported
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 seldom
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 martial
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 realized
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 mentioned
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 comments
about the main subject, "Apples".
Baseball games among the six universities
in Tokyo in prewar days were
more popular than those among the professional
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 representative,
historic private universities,
especially, had a large number of
fans. Their games were always scheduled
on the final day of a tournament regardless
of their standing. That is to
say, their game was always the climax
of the baseball season. Many fans gathered
in the Meiji Shrine Ball Park, crowded
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 excited.
When the Waseda team was at bat,
an apple was thrown into the infield by
JANUARY 19, 1997
an excited student from the stand on the?
Waseda side. It rolled near Shigeru Mizuhara,
who was at the "hot corner" (third
base). Members of both teams were usually
well-disciplined and refrained from
responding emotionally to any untoward
incidents, as good sportsmen, but Shigeru
became very angry at the impolite behavior
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 considered
his action heroic. The incident was
settled later through negotiations between
supporting groups of both universities
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 greeting
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 recall
two popular songs of the old days.
One is "Under the Apple Tree" (Ringo no
Ki no shita de), sung by Dick Mine in prewar
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 stimulated
sweet, tender and encouraging emo-
"DAILYW ORD" 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 Taikyirzan
around 1940. He was a Japanese
born in Taikya (now known as Taegu) in
Korea, which was very famous for producing
tasty apples. I have always enjoyed
eating sweet apples.
(HARUJI FUKUMI, Minami, Nagoya)
On today's "Weekly News for Children"
on NHK, the question was raised
why children eat less and less fruit although
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 program
director to interview an elementary
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 healthier,
fruit or fruit juice? It requires several
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
22 JANUARY 19, 1997
father, once a junior high school principal,
manages an apple orchard.
Karen, a friend of ours from Australia
and a coordinator for KGK (Kirisuto-
sha Gakusei Kai) visited the Saitos
in Aomori and found them living a
leisurely life working in an apple orchard.
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 atmosphere
related to a Sokei-sen. In those
days, professional baseball was not so
popular as today. People enjoyed university
baseball games more and among
them the spirit stimulated by the competition
between Waseda and Kei6 universities
was outstanding. We can easily
imagine that the spectators were so
excited that they may have become violent
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 oranges
and persimmons were most popular.
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 concerning
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 loving
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 edible
apples were imported from Western
countries in the early years of the Meiji
Era. Generally speaking, Japanese are
quite diligent and willing to take meticulous
measures when they are considered
necessary. Traditionally, their sense of
taste has been refined and they have
made a continuing effort to develop better
quality produce. Consequently, they
have been very good at breeding fruit
The apples we tasted before the war
were different than those which are popular
now. When fall came, an early type
of apple matured first. Then, a mid-fall
type and a late-fall type came out one after
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 remarkably
advanced. Likewise, we can
see a great progress in producing, storing,
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 commercialism
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 naJANUARY
19, 1997
tural taste of the original apples which
were sour. My daughter-in--law in London
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 supermarkets
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 limited
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 wooden
box at the left side of the shop, apples
are placed carelessly. What precious
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 characteristic
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 purchase
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 Aomori
to many parts of Japan in big wood24
JANUARY 19, 1997
en boxes stuffed with chaff. We got excited
when the box was opened by father
or brother with a hammer's claw. Sometimes
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 orchard
of KOgyoku (Red Jewel). This kind
of apple is very red but somewhat rare
now. It is a little sour and good for apple
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 swallowing
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 rebuild
our devastated land. Yes, apples are
very popular in Japan. I also don't know
why Japanese officials raise unreasonable
barriers to importing apples from
America even though they favor "internationalization".
I hope the day will soon
come when apples in every nation become
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 political
forces and a new government has
been formed. Looking back on this election,
what are your thoughts regarding
the present state of democracy in Japan?
What is your reaction to the results
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 procedures,
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 respective
political parties was decided. It
was the first election held under a new
election system in which there are candidates
both for small electoral districts
and for proportional representation.
Before the adoption of this new
system, representatives were chosen
from medium-sized electoral districts.
Under that system, more than two candidates
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 encourage
two large political parties, but
the adoption of the new system did not
achieve the hoped for result.
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 Democratic
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 person
can stand as a candidate in both the
small electoral district and the proportional
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 rejected
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 appellation.
Before the introduction of the new
system, many people insisted that candidates
were obliged to raise much money
and that the new system would solve
that problem because the electoral district
is smaller, but the result was far
less than their expectations.
Considering the various aspects noted
above, I cannot say that the new system
was successful. A readjustment of
the new system has already been proposed,
but it will be very difficult to revise
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 politics
is serious now. It is easy to say
that people lack all sense of responsibility,
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 political
system to make this nation better.
To me, what politicians do in the Diet
can be described as follows. They introduce
a bill that has been prepared by
bureaucrats, engage in discussions according
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 people
more information. The lack of real
debates keeps us uninformed. ?For example,
when the law was passed to increase
the consumption tax rate _from three to
five percent, important negotiations
were carried on among .ruling parties behind
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
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 election.
It is worse that we are getting
used to seeing them break their promises.
What they are doing is playing a political
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 decide
to do something for the future of
the country, it must be good for all citizens,
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 welcomed
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 Minister
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 system
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 system
was not introduced by the people's
will. Therefore, it will take more time
to change people's consciousness of being
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 extremely
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 necessary
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 politicians
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 politicians,
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 private
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 measure,
similar to students who sit for entrance
examinations at several secondary
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 returned
even if he was defeated. That is
strange and funny!
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 interesting
to say--only ear-splitting announcements
of the candidate's name as
the vehicle moved along. Although every
political clique raised the issue of administrative
reform, there was no clear
vision for the 21st century.
Democracy requires responsible voters.
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 television
stations broadcast discussions by
candidates, even in local elections. PTAs
hold get-togethers to listen to candidates'
speeches, inviting all candidates.
Newspapers daily report on topics related
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 International
Exchange Institute in Ichinomiya
City.
From the next election, they should
revise the procedure and eliminate the
double candidacy system. The most important
role for the new assemblymen is
to make a stable system of government
which is suitable for the 21st century.
Considering the present political situation,
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 government
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 democracy.
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 modern
democracy in Japan. The Constitution
promulgated in 1946 showed the main
direction Japan should take. Half a century
has passed without belligerent acts
against any nation and Japan has enjoyed
unprecedented affluence. Throughout
that peaceful period, democracy was expected
to take root, but what actually
happened fell short of the expectation.
Consider the recent election for the
House of Representatives conducted under
a new system. It provided singleseat
constituencies and a proportional
representation system combined. The
system was originally designed to the
advantage of big parties and to the disadvantage
of small parties. Eventually,
after the event some candidates who
lost a seat in the single seat constituency
won a seat through the proportional
representation system. Some people disdain
such candidates. Some of them advocate
revising the new election system.
One of the problems of grave concern is
that the result does not correctly reflect
people's opinions about crucial issues
of the times. The fact that the voter
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 under
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 general
election because the present system
is far from just.
(SHOJI SUGIMOTO, Suginami, Tokyo)
28 JANUARY 19, 1997
Whenever an election of representatives
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 voting
rate was 59.7 percent, the lowest so
far. Incidentally, the American general
election this year also recorded its lowest
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 difference."
I feel very sorry to hear this kind
of opinion. If every voter in Japan should
think this way, democracy in this country
would collapse and that would cause
not a little difference but a big difference.
We Japanese have become so accustomed
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 slands
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 Battle
of Guadalcanal became the first step
in the defeat of Japan in that war. According
to the statistics of the Defense
Agency, of the 31,400 soldiers who landed
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 accounts
there. It is a thick, heavy book,
published 28 years after the war and
took 8 years to compile by many veterans
of each company in the infantry
mat he belonged to. It contains true records
and facts about every battle they
fought from 1939 to 1945. At the end of
the book, one of the many writers, an excompany
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-
"pNleo's lives who were not allowed to say ." A nation is like a living thing that
can soon become mad without its citizen'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 present
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)
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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 technologically
advanced country in the world
where the metric system is not in general
use. Actually, the metric system is
JANUARY 19, 1997
the nation's official system, but it i s
generally ignored by most citizens, who
prefer an old, complicated English system
of miles, yards, feet and inches, gallons,
quarts and pints, pounds and ounces.
In Japan, the metric system is in
general use, but such terms as ken,
shaku, sun, tsubo, koku, sh6 and gO continue
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 elementary
school boy, people in general used
the traditional system more than the
new metric system. At school, our teacher
told our class to convert shaku- related
numbers into meter-related numbers
and vice-versa as exercises in arithmetic.
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 system
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 accustomed
to the former due to their familiarity
with it.
Brought up in the transition period
from the traditional system to the new
one, I know both the old and new systems.
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 systems
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 situation
in the United States. We use meters,
liters and grams as units for measuring
in our daily lives. However, when
you look at fliers of real estate delivered
with a newspaper, you immediately
notice that we still stick to the traditional
units of tsubo and [6. The former
is the unit of land area and must be used
with the equivalent in square meters according
to the law. On the other hand,
the figures in the latter unit is not associated
with those in the metric system.
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 example,
when I wanted to know the gas mileage
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
30 JANUARY 19, 1997
from cubic inches into cubic centimeters
without a calculator. On television and
in newspapers in the U. S. A., temperatures
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 kilograms
per square centimeter. The unit of
atom seems to be easier to recognize for
me. Examples of American ways of measuring
are not limited to scientific devices.
We may see them on the shelves in
stores. Many labels are printed in ounces
(oz.), pounds (lb.) and quarts (qt.) on various
foods from the U. S. As the containers
are manufactured in keeping with the
traditional system, the additional figures
in milliliters or grams on the labels
are always irregular. Though it is better
than having no additions, it is inconvenient
when you want to compare their
prices with those of Japanese products.
I think that the persistence of a traditional
measuring system is all right as
long as it is used locally, such as jo here
and "miles per hour" there. It will help to
preserve and respect traditional culture.
In some ways, the Japanese attitude toward
accepting the metric system was
too strict. The total ban on using traditional
measuring devices made it difficult
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 adoption
of the metric system. Cultural importance
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 natural
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 (system).
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 differences,
depending on the region, usage and
period. This was especially so concerning
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 enactment,
the shaku-kan-ho was used together
with the metric system for about
half a century until 1951 when the
traditional units were generally abolished
upon enactment of the "Measurement
Law".
The "yard-pound system" is used
mainly in Great Britain and the United
States. Once there was a difference between
them (imperial units and avoirdupois
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 internationalization,
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 governments,
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
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 system
is also a problem for us. The shakukan-
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 inseparable
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 necessity.
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 manifestations
of a nation's culture. On the other
hand, diverse systems are incompatible
with internationalization. We should
make efforts to solve this contradiction.
(MIKIHIKO YOSHIMOTO, Gifu)
In my childhood, in the 1930s, the
metric system was introduced. Nowadays,
that system is generally used in
our daily lives, but I am still accustomed
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 correspond
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-filling
foods which characterize daily life
today. This difficult but valuable experience
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 measurement
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 using
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 measurement,
was used. Kujira-jaku is a measure
of length used exclusively by Japa32
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 poet
and television performer, once advocated
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 imagine,
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 literal
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 resides
in the Western Paradise which is
filled with unmeasurably brilliant light.
It is the world of perfect peace and happiness
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 paradise
is only attainable through the great
mercy of Amitabha Buddha, not by their
own effort. Any deliberate religious ceremony,
severe ascetic practice or philosophical
study is not enough to realize
their hope to be born there.
I feel in this material world we cannot
free ourselves from the fetter of
"measurement" . One's wealth is measured
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 anxiety
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 answer,
having . heard that quiz before, but
most of them do not know how long a
mile is.
1
JANUARY 19, 1997
-- Long ago , one of my acquaintances,
who had spent seven years in Texas because
of her husband's work, said to me,
"During our stay in the States , we sometimes
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 Japanese
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 measurement
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, complicated
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, innovative,
rational and perfect society will
suffocate us as we are neither computers
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 Japanese
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 introduced
into the English Forum of NIF-7
TY-Serve computer network
1/91 Ofuna- Hakase no Deiri- Wado,
high school text, published (Biseisha)
10/30/92 Messages began to be recorded
on chip instead of on tape; must
be called in daily
1/93 "Daily Word" messages became
available in Braille at St. Michael's
English Library for the Blind (Kobe)
10/93 Japanese translations of
messages from NIFTY-Serve made available
for general listeners/readers
3/96 On Internet (NAMOS homepage):
http://www.namos.co.jp/clark/
January 19, 1997 = message #5596;
Weekly copy #780; "Daily Word" Echoes
#55; Listeners Meeting #65; Total number
of calls (9/80-12/96)=782,729; Average
per day: 131; Record number of
calls in one day: 5224 (1 /14/88)