Instead of ignoring pain, Dazai wrote about it.
The banks of the Tamagawa canal were covered with dokudami(houttuynia or fish mint) flowers. I could glimps*(ちらりと見る） through the shade of fatsia and palm leaves the water that writer Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) once described as "running deep and slow". As I strolled*散策する closer to JR Mitaka Station in western Tokyo, I noted that the banks on both sides of the canal had been turned into trim promenades. I could find few traces*面影 of former Musashino, as this part of Tokyo has been traditionally called.
This is the spot where Dazai ended his life 60 years ago. His existence was fragile*もろい, it can be likened to a sparkler that ignited and fizzled*5 out最後は失敗に終わる quickly. He drowned himself in a double suicide with his lover at midnight on June 13, 1948. Their bodies, tied together with a rope, were found in the lower reaches of the canal on the morning of June 19, which would have been Dazai's 39th birthday. Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of the incident, a special day known as Otoki. The name derives from his short story "Oto"(Cherry).
Next year is the centennial* of his birth and I hear there is renewed interest in Dazai, whose works continue to attract readers. Commentaries about him are also being published. The city of Mitaka opened a literary salon on the site of the liquor shop Dazai used to frequent.A paperback reissue of his 1948 novel, "Ningen Shikkaku" (No longer human), with a new cover by a popular manga artist, sold 210,000 copies in its first year, according to publisher Shueisha Inc.
Dazai, a drug addict, attempted suicide four times. His profile changes depending on how one views his "weaknesses." Yukio Mishima(1925-1970) harshly criticized him in "A novelist's holiday" "Sick people who do not wat to get well are not qualified to be really sick," Mishima wrote.
Commentator Takeo Okuno(1926-1997) defended Dazai in collection of works of Japanese literature. Okuno wrote that it takes strength to maintain the weakness of youth until one dies."(Dazai) was sensitive and easily hurt, and kept his inner shame to himself, where he could shrewdly*鋭く、抜け目無く feel the truth," Okuno wrote.
Instead of turning a blind eye to his anxiety about never fitting in with society, Dazai wrote about it. His "strong works," in which he exposed the hidden world that exists inside each human being, continue to be read passionately today. There may be things that only people who know their own weaknesses, as well as the weaknesses of others, inside and out can understand. Some young people cannot face up to their weaknesses squarely. We live in age of uncertainty. There are many things I wish I could ask Dazai, who I imagin is sitting in his grave with his chin thoughtfully in his hand. (Herald Asahi, June 19, 2008)
This is the spot where Dazai ended his life 60 years ago. His existence was fragile*もろい, it can be likened to a sparkler that ignited and fizzled*5 out最後は失敗に終わる quickly. He drowned himself in a double suicide with his lover at midnight on June 13, 1948. Their bodies, tied together with a rope, were found in the lower reaches of the canal on the morning of June 19, which would have been Dazai's 39th birthday. Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of the incident, a special day known as Otoki. The name derives from his short story "Oto"(Cherry).
Next year is the centennial* of his birth and I hear there is renewed interest in Dazai, whose works continue to attract readers. Commentaries about him are also being published. The city of Mitaka opened a literary salon on the site of the liquor shop Dazai used to frequent.A paperback reissue of his 1948 novel, "Ningen Shikkaku" (No longer human), with a new cover by a popular manga artist, sold 210,000 copies in its first year, according to publisher Shueisha Inc.
Dazai, a drug addict, attempted suicide four times. His profile changes depending on how one views his "weaknesses." Yukio Mishima(1925-1970) harshly criticized him in "A novelist's holiday" "Sick people who do not wat to get well are not qualified to be really sick," Mishima wrote.
Commentator Takeo Okuno(1926-1997) defended Dazai in collection of works of Japanese literature. Okuno wrote that it takes strength to maintain the weakness of youth until one dies."(Dazai) was sensitive and easily hurt, and kept his inner shame to himself, where he could shrewdly*鋭く、抜け目無く feel the truth," Okuno wrote.
Instead of turning a blind eye to his anxiety about never fitting in with society, Dazai wrote about it. His "strong works," in which he exposed the hidden world that exists inside each human being, continue to be read passionately today. There may be things that only people who know their own weaknesses, as well as the weaknesses of others, inside and out can understand. Some young people cannot face up to their weaknesses squarely. We live in age of uncertainty. There are many things I wish I could ask Dazai, who I imagin is sitting in his grave with his chin thoughtfully in his hand. (Herald Asahi, June 19, 2008)
Ainu recognition opens the door to diversity*多様性
The preface*2 to the first edition of "Ainu Shinyoshu" (Collected songs of the Ainu godss), published 85 years ago, begins: " A long time ago, this big land of Hokkaido was land of freedom for our ancestors." Yukie Chiri(1903-1922), an Ainu who rendered*伝承する a collection of mythical Ainu songs into Japanese, called herself and her people a "dying race." She was in poor health, but forced herself to keep going, determined to save at least a small part of Ainu culture.
Chiri was a child prodigy*天才児 who could go back and forth between her mother tongue and standard Japanese with ease. She was discovered and groomed*訓練する by Kyosuke Kindaichi(1882-1971), an eminent linguist. Chiri died at tender age of 19, dreaming of the day when her compatriots-the Utari-would no longer be threatened by mainstream Japanese culture and be able to "fall into step*足並みを揃える with the rest of the world toward progress." Her book was published after her death.
On June 6, the Diet unanimously*満場一致で voted for resolution recognizing the Ainu as indigenous* people of Japan's northernmost region. The resolution noted, "Many Ainu were discriminated against and forced to live in poberty, even though they were Japanese citizens under the law." The resolution demands the government further implement履行する initiatives that will protect their right.
Until 11 years ago, this country had a law that referred to the Ainu people as Kyu-dojin-literally, former aboriginals. That law in effect had acknowledged the historical fact of their indigenous status. Given*考慮に入れると the international trend toward respecting the rights of indigenous peoples, it is Japan's non-Ainu society that ought to "fall into step" with the Ainu people. The new resolution represents the first move in that direction.
Society gains depth through encounters with foreign cultures and customs. In contrast* any society that believes in the fiction of a "single ethic entity" breeds misguided arrogance. The acknowledgment of diversity must always be fundamental to existence of any society.
The Kamui(god) of owl in Ainu mythology sings as it flies: "Silver drops fall, fall, all around; gold drops fall, fall, all around; This is the opening line in the collection of Ainu songs that Chiri translated into Japanese. The owl god dodges arrows of gold shot bu rich children, choosing instead to be pierced by wooden arrows shot by poor children. The Ainu were gentle, warmhearted people who lived amid mature and survived as hunters, fishers and farmers. I want to learn from the Ainu lifestyle and philosophy, which Chiri tried to teach us. (Herald Asahi, June. 16, 2008)
Chiri was a child prodigy*天才児 who could go back and forth between her mother tongue and standard Japanese with ease. She was discovered and groomed*訓練する by Kyosuke Kindaichi(1882-1971), an eminent linguist. Chiri died at tender age of 19, dreaming of the day when her compatriots-the Utari-would no longer be threatened by mainstream Japanese culture and be able to "fall into step*足並みを揃える with the rest of the world toward progress." Her book was published after her death.
On June 6, the Diet unanimously*満場一致で voted for resolution recognizing the Ainu as indigenous* people of Japan's northernmost region. The resolution noted, "Many Ainu were discriminated against and forced to live in poberty, even though they were Japanese citizens under the law." The resolution demands the government further implement履行する initiatives that will protect their right.
Until 11 years ago, this country had a law that referred to the Ainu people as Kyu-dojin-literally, former aboriginals. That law in effect had acknowledged the historical fact of their indigenous status. Given*考慮に入れると the international trend toward respecting the rights of indigenous peoples, it is Japan's non-Ainu society that ought to "fall into step" with the Ainu people. The new resolution represents the first move in that direction.
Society gains depth through encounters with foreign cultures and customs. In contrast* any society that believes in the fiction of a "single ethic entity" breeds misguided arrogance. The acknowledgment of diversity must always be fundamental to existence of any society.
The Kamui(god) of owl in Ainu mythology sings as it flies: "Silver drops fall, fall, all around; gold drops fall, fall, all around; This is the opening line in the collection of Ainu songs that Chiri translated into Japanese. The owl god dodges arrows of gold shot bu rich children, choosing instead to be pierced by wooden arrows shot by poor children. The Ainu were gentle, warmhearted people who lived amid mature and survived as hunters, fishers and farmers. I want to learn from the Ainu lifestyle and philosophy, which Chiri tried to teach us. (Herald Asahi, June. 16, 2008)
You never know what flowers will bloom.
Being a physicist sounds like such a serious*1 profession it's hard to believe that such people have time for other pursuits. But in the case of Nobel Prize physicist Shinichiro Tomonaga(1906-1979), he enjoyed nature in his own backyard. In an essay, he wrote how he attracted birds by setting up a bird table in his yard and clloected various seeds from their droppings*2ふん.
He planted the seeds in pots in early spring and waited until around the beginning of the rainy season for them to bud. At first, it was difficult to tell what they were but soon, they become distinguishable*3区別できる. Those around him told him it would be interesting if some of them turned out to be*4 plants that can be found only in the Himalayas, he wrote.
It is true that it would be fun if unexpected flowers bloom but not if they are illegal. Some of the seeds that organizers of an annual flower festival in Shimotsuma, Ibaraki Prefecture, plamted, thinking they were harmless corn poppies, turned out to be of the variety prohibited*5 under optium law. Last week, the festival site was covered with the illegal poppies. City officials and volunteers rushed to uproot them.
The opium poppies called atsumi-geshi in Japan contain narcotic*6麻薬の properties. Since there were hundreds of thousands of them, they could not be burned in a day and had to be watched overnight. The flowers originally come from North Africa. There is no way the seeds were carried by birds, but haw they got mixed up remains a mystery.
Perhaps because they are illegal, opium poppies appear somewhat ephemeral*7つかのまの、はかない. Poet Tatsuji Miyoshi (1900-1964) said they remained*8(remainded--of--+=人にーを思い出させる）him of paintings by the French painter Marie Laurencin (1883-1956). But contrary to*9 their appearance, they have virulent*毒性の強い power. The narcotic effects of opium produce a strong euphoria*陶酔感 but make users a wreck*12.
When Tomonaga planted the seeds he collected from bird droppings, all of them grew into plants that were commonly found in the neighborhood. Why did atsumi-geshi, which is supposedly uncommon legally speaking, bloom in such a large number? If the mystery remains unsolved*13, I'm curious*14 as to what will happen next year. (Herald Asashi May 21)
He planted the seeds in pots in early spring and waited until around the beginning of the rainy season for them to bud. At first, it was difficult to tell what they were but soon, they become distinguishable*3区別できる. Those around him told him it would be interesting if some of them turned out to be*4 plants that can be found only in the Himalayas, he wrote.
It is true that it would be fun if unexpected flowers bloom but not if they are illegal. Some of the seeds that organizers of an annual flower festival in Shimotsuma, Ibaraki Prefecture, plamted, thinking they were harmless corn poppies, turned out to be of the variety prohibited*5 under optium law. Last week, the festival site was covered with the illegal poppies. City officials and volunteers rushed to uproot them.
The opium poppies called atsumi-geshi in Japan contain narcotic*6麻薬の properties. Since there were hundreds of thousands of them, they could not be burned in a day and had to be watched overnight. The flowers originally come from North Africa. There is no way the seeds were carried by birds, but haw they got mixed up remains a mystery.
Perhaps because they are illegal, opium poppies appear somewhat ephemeral*7つかのまの、はかない. Poet Tatsuji Miyoshi (1900-1964) said they remained*8(remainded--of--+=人にーを思い出させる）him of paintings by the French painter Marie Laurencin (1883-1956). But contrary to*9 their appearance, they have virulent*毒性の強い power. The narcotic effects of opium produce a strong euphoria*陶酔感 but make users a wreck*12.
When Tomonaga planted the seeds he collected from bird droppings, all of them grew into plants that were commonly found in the neighborhood. Why did atsumi-geshi, which is supposedly uncommon legally speaking, bloom in such a large number? If the mystery remains unsolved*13, I'm curious*14 as to what will happen next year. (Herald Asashi May 21)
Enlightenment*1 means living with equanimity*平静、平常
May is the glorious month of gentle breezes, but Masaoka Shiki(1868-1902), a haiku poet of the Meiji Era(1867-1912) who suffered chronic spiral caries, dreaded*3ひどく心配する this month. His condition invariably*4いつも決まって worsened every May.
As if to give his own flagging*5気力などが衰える sぴりt亜簿おst、Shiki began writing serial*6 essays in a newspaper in May 1902. It was titled "Byosho 6-shaku". Struggling with pain, he once wrote about satori, or enlightenment. He had always believed that the state of enlightenment freed one from all fear of death, but he was mistaken, he noted. On the contrary*7, he observed,"(being enlightened) means being able to keep living with perfect equanimity under all circumstances."
Permanently bed-ridden, Shiki could not do without his mother or younger sister who cared for him devotedly. Until his death at age 35, he wrote prodigiously from his sickbed while living with "equanimity." Shiki's situation may well apply today to elderly people requiring constant nursing care at home, except that their caregivers*8介護者 are more likely visiting professionals, not their mothers or younger sisters.
But in this day and age, it has become difficult for the elderly to live with the sort of peace of mind attained by Shiki. I hear that caregiver-dispatch operations, which form the core of today's nursing care services for the elderly living at home, are on the decline*9. Concerns are being voiced that this could invite the collapse of our country's nursing care insurence system.
Care service fees paid under the insurence were lawered two years ago. Nursing care operators have gone south*悪化する financially; their staff have had their incomes slashed; and many have switched jobs. This vicious cycle*悪循環 seems to be eroding*次第に減ずる everyone's sense of security. Nobody can escape eventual aging and infirmity*虚弱 Steps must be taken now to prepare for the future, including measures to update the health care system.
Thanks probably to the devoted ministrations*世話・援助 of his mother and sister, Shiki never lost his sense of humor or cheefulness. One poem he penned in bed goes: "An edamame bean/ Tossed three sun(9 centimeters) into the air/ Pops into my month." There is no question that everyone needs this kind of peace of mind every day of their lives. (Herald Asahi, May 17)
As if to give his own flagging*5気力などが衰える sぴりt亜簿おst、Shiki began writing serial*6 essays in a newspaper in May 1902. It was titled "Byosho 6-shaku". Struggling with pain, he once wrote about satori, or enlightenment. He had always believed that the state of enlightenment freed one from all fear of death, but he was mistaken, he noted. On the contrary*7, he observed,"(being enlightened) means being able to keep living with perfect equanimity under all circumstances."
Permanently bed-ridden, Shiki could not do without his mother or younger sister who cared for him devotedly. Until his death at age 35, he wrote prodigiously from his sickbed while living with "equanimity." Shiki's situation may well apply today to elderly people requiring constant nursing care at home, except that their caregivers*8介護者 are more likely visiting professionals, not their mothers or younger sisters.
But in this day and age, it has become difficult for the elderly to live with the sort of peace of mind attained by Shiki. I hear that caregiver-dispatch operations, which form the core of today's nursing care services for the elderly living at home, are on the decline*9. Concerns are being voiced that this could invite the collapse of our country's nursing care insurence system.
Care service fees paid under the insurence were lawered two years ago. Nursing care operators have gone south*悪化する financially; their staff have had their incomes slashed; and many have switched jobs. This vicious cycle*悪循環 seems to be eroding*次第に減ずる everyone's sense of security. Nobody can escape eventual aging and infirmity*虚弱 Steps must be taken now to prepare for the future, including measures to update the health care system.
Thanks probably to the devoted ministrations*世話・援助 of his mother and sister, Shiki never lost his sense of humor or cheefulness. One poem he penned in bed goes: "An edamame bean/ Tossed three sun(9 centimeters) into the air/ Pops into my month." There is no question that everyone needs this kind of peace of mind every day of their lives. (Herald Asahi, May 17)
Take the time to try something really big in life.
When Meiji University's Alpine Club held a training camp on Mount Hakuba 48 years ago to welcome score of*1 new members, the first to drop from exhaustion was slightly built freshman from the agriculture department. His nickname wa "Donguri" (acorn) because he kept falling down. This man was Naomi Uemura (1941-1984), who later became the first person in the world conquer*2 the highest peaks on five continents.
So this great adventurer was no shining star from th start. After graduating, Uemura went to the United State to raise money for his expendition. According to his book, "Seishun wo Yama ni Kakete"* Devoting my youthful years to mountain climbing) published by Bungeishunju Ltd., Uemura made this heartfelt vow*3: "Uutil I find a job, I'll spend as little money as possible, even if it means having to live on nothing but*4 cucumbers!" His optimism and refusal to quit likely helped him survive.
Soon this year's new office workers will have survived a month on the job themselves. Some may have recieved nothing but scoldings these past weeks, but they should not lose heart. Katsuya Nomura, manager of the the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles pro baseball team, said in an interview with the mainichi Shimbun: "I don't scold those who are beyond hope and I couldn't care less about." Nomura was describing how he deals with his top players, but it also explains why he habitually complains about promising young players, too.
When I was a cub reporter*6, I got yelled at while I was using a pay phone. I was forced to listen to lengthy tirade*7 but I don't remmebrr what it was about. This person was screaming loudly, so I held the reciever away from my ear. Then, I heard a voice behind me asking, "Why is someone so mad*8 at you?" I turned and saw a primary school kid gazing up at me with woried eyes.
Now, I am convinced *9 that not rookie*10 is "beyond hope." No one would be a rookie in the first place if someone hadn't seen their potential*11 and hired them. So here is my advice to all rookies: Set yourself a truly ambitious goal now, while you still have space to make mistakes. Do it and know you are completely free to step boldly. Recall ""Acorn" Uemura, who returned from the Hakuba training camp after enduring a miserable time. He made a firm resolution to get up at 6 a.m. every day to run 9 kilometers on mountain roads. That resolve eventually led him to become a world-renowned explorer and adventurer.
Not everyone can take a rest during the Golden Week holidays, but I hope that all the young, determined people out there are beginning to plan something really big. Were it Uemura, he would perhaps spend the break nibbling at cucumbers as he contemplated*14 the order in which he would attempt the peaks on those five continents. (Herald Asahi, May 5)
So this great adventurer was no shining star from th start. After graduating, Uemura went to the United State to raise money for his expendition. According to his book, "Seishun wo Yama ni Kakete"* Devoting my youthful years to mountain climbing) published by Bungeishunju Ltd., Uemura made this heartfelt vow*3: "Uutil I find a job, I'll spend as little money as possible, even if it means having to live on nothing but*4 cucumbers!" His optimism and refusal to quit likely helped him survive.
Soon this year's new office workers will have survived a month on the job themselves. Some may have recieved nothing but scoldings these past weeks, but they should not lose heart. Katsuya Nomura, manager of the the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles pro baseball team, said in an interview with the mainichi Shimbun: "I don't scold those who are beyond hope and I couldn't care less about." Nomura was describing how he deals with his top players, but it also explains why he habitually complains about promising young players, too.
When I was a cub reporter*6, I got yelled at while I was using a pay phone. I was forced to listen to lengthy tirade*7 but I don't remmebrr what it was about. This person was screaming loudly, so I held the reciever away from my ear. Then, I heard a voice behind me asking, "Why is someone so mad*8 at you?" I turned and saw a primary school kid gazing up at me with woried eyes.
Now, I am convinced *9 that not rookie*10 is "beyond hope." No one would be a rookie in the first place if someone hadn't seen their potential*11 and hired them. So here is my advice to all rookies: Set yourself a truly ambitious goal now, while you still have space to make mistakes. Do it and know you are completely free to step boldly. Recall ""Acorn" Uemura, who returned from the Hakuba training camp after enduring a miserable time. He made a firm resolution to get up at 6 a.m. every day to run 9 kilometers on mountain roads. That resolve eventually led him to become a world-renowned explorer and adventurer.
Not everyone can take a rest during the Golden Week holidays, but I hope that all the young, determined people out there are beginning to plan something really big. Were it Uemura, he would perhaps spend the break nibbling at cucumbers as he contemplated*14 the order in which he would attempt the peaks on those five continents. (Herald Asahi, May 5)
New gas suicides also harm those left behind.
Manga artist Shigeru Mizuki once visited a temple in Aomori Prefecture dedicated to jizo, the gurdian deity of all creatures as well as children who died before their parents. There, he found many bizarre-looking stone statues of the deity wearing military caps and students' uniforms. Mizuki, an expert on monsters and supernatural beings in the manga world, felt a subtle*2 sadness that belongs to neither the living nor the dead. It was like "a sort of spiritual gas," Mizuki recalls in his book "Yokai Gadan" published by Iwanami Shoten Publishers.
Kitaro, one of Mizuki's best-known characters in the manga series "Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro," can use his hair as an antenna to detect looming evil spirit activity. The uncanny*3 spirits," in the form of invisible gas, provide settings for stories only when they choose when and where to waft*4. If they were to gush out*5 at any time or anywhere, it would spoil the atmospher.
SUicides using poisonous*6 hydrogen sulfide have occurred one after another recently. Since the gas is invisible and can leak from tiny holes, it can easily cause collateral damage*7 to people who happen to be nearby. In the municipal housing complex in Konan, Kochi Prefecture, where a junior high school girl died Wednesday in an apparent*8 hydrogen sulfide suicide, 80 people were taken to hospital.
Such suicides have rapidly grown this spring. Explanations on how to produce the gas using household products are circulating*9 on the Internet and apparently spread among young people seized with the desire to kill themselves. In preparation of producing the gas, many people also put up a sign outside their doors to warn neighbors, as instructed on the Internet. The sign reads "poinonous gas in production."
Before hydrogen sulfide, explanations on how to use briquette coal to produce carbon monoxide*10 as a means*11 of committing suicide spread through the Internet. All that has changed are the materials used and the kind of gas being producted. Meanwhile, the urge to take one's life is spreading among copycats and the trend is giving rise to*12 more new jizo statues. People consult the Internet to learn ways to commit suicide and put up signs of warning to neighbors. Can they not change their desire to "connect" with others and to take their painstaking*13 efforts to end their lives, thereby keeping the will to live?
It is sad to think that the last thing that links suicide victims with this world in poison gas. Using gas to kill themselves is the worst thing they can do to their neighbors and people who rush to their rescue having read the signs. Such horrible*14 deeds only double the grief of those left behind. (Herald Asahi)
Kitaro, one of Mizuki's best-known characters in the manga series "Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro," can use his hair as an antenna to detect looming evil spirit activity. The uncanny*3 spirits," in the form of invisible gas, provide settings for stories only when they choose when and where to waft*4. If they were to gush out*5 at any time or anywhere, it would spoil the atmospher.
SUicides using poisonous*6 hydrogen sulfide have occurred one after another recently. Since the gas is invisible and can leak from tiny holes, it can easily cause collateral damage*7 to people who happen to be nearby. In the municipal housing complex in Konan, Kochi Prefecture, where a junior high school girl died Wednesday in an apparent*8 hydrogen sulfide suicide, 80 people were taken to hospital.
Such suicides have rapidly grown this spring. Explanations on how to produce the gas using household products are circulating*9 on the Internet and apparently spread among young people seized with the desire to kill themselves. In preparation of producing the gas, many people also put up a sign outside their doors to warn neighbors, as instructed on the Internet. The sign reads "poinonous gas in production."
Before hydrogen sulfide, explanations on how to use briquette coal to produce carbon monoxide*10 as a means*11 of committing suicide spread through the Internet. All that has changed are the materials used and the kind of gas being producted. Meanwhile, the urge to take one's life is spreading among copycats and the trend is giving rise to*12 more new jizo statues. People consult the Internet to learn ways to commit suicide and put up signs of warning to neighbors. Can they not change their desire to "connect" with others and to take their painstaking*13 efforts to end their lives, thereby keeping the will to live?
It is sad to think that the last thing that links suicide victims with this world in poison gas. Using gas to kill themselves is the worst thing they can do to their neighbors and people who rush to their rescue having read the signs. Such horrible*14 deeds only double the grief of those left behind. (Herald Asahi)
