Chrysanthemum Festival

Today and tomorrow, there is a chrysanthemum festival in my town. A couple of hand-made-Japanese dolls dressing chrysanthemum is displayed at a temple near my home during this two days. This festival is held every October. It is the fourth time for me to see this festival.

When I was in my home today after my dinner, I heard pulses of Japanese drums. I went outside, and found five young women and one man were beating Japanese drums on top of a float decorated as like a fishing boat. I was fascinated with the performance.

While watching the performance, I found that people in my town seem to be connected to each other rather strongly. I have no kids, and my working place is about 1 hour away by foot from my town; thus, I have very limited connections with people in my town. On the other hand, when I went back to my hometown where I had been living until the 18 years-old, I found myself a member of communities in my hometown.

Someone regard this valuable connection as social capital. We need time and effort to foster social relationships in communities; but, once such a connection is developed, you will be able to obtain many opportunity from your community.

Air pollution in Tokyo

Japan experienced severe environmental issues during the period of 1955 to 1970. In this period, air pollution was significant in industrial complex areas. The Yokkaichi industrial area, in which many petrochemical factories were located, was notorious for its air pollution. Air in the Keihin industrial area, including seaside areas of Kawasaki and Yokohama, was also contaminated by air pollutants originating from petroleum burning. Residential areas in Tokyo also experienced severe air pollution due to heavy traffic loads. A number of people were damaged by the air pollution, and people were even killed in the worst case.

During the period, a relationship between a cause and its result was simple. Production activities required oil burning, and pollution control technique was not matured. Thus, air pollution was inevitable issues at that time. A relationship between light and shadow were really understandable. You would have good reasons to say that economic activities were enemy to your environment at a loud voice.

I am currently living in a residential area in Tokyo, but am able to breathe air prevailing in Tokyo. I believe that acute toxicities arising from air pollution is not almost at a concerned level in Tokyo. This is thanks to recent emergences of environment-friendly vehicles and severe technical and regulatory pollution prevention measures taken in Japan for the past several decades. Although air pollution levels along main road side areas in Tokyo should be still taken cared about, I can find a residential place in the metropolitan Tokyo where I have not to take care about air pollution.


However, I cannot say anything about newly appearing air pollutants: radioactive substances coming from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. I am not totally sure whether the radioactive substances will cause negative impacts on your health in the future.

After 10 years

I was in Washington D.C. on September 11, 2001. I was there for my private trip. I was 20 years-old, and traveling over the U.S. by the national train company called AMTRAC. I arrived on L.A. at the end of August in that year, and started to move from L.A. to Arizona, Florida, New York, Boston, and to Washington D.C by the train.

I was in FBI at the moment when two airplanes crashed into the World Trade Centers. FBI had invited travelers to its headquarters, and I applied that tour, which was free of charge. When we were in a room designed for shooting practices, we travelers were forced to leave the headquarters without any explanation.

I was on a bench in a large park located in the center of Washington D.C. when an airplane crashed into Pentagon. I forgot the name of the park, but it should be famous one. The park included Smithsonian museums and Lincoln Memorial and others. I heard a large sound, and later I confirmed white smoke. And, the world has changed after those consecutive terrors.

The U.S. had a policy to put evils outside its own country, and attacked Afghanistan and Iraq. It was easy for us to understand logics preparing in the U.S. at that time. There were enemies in the Middle East, and you had to attack the enemies before the enemies attacked to you. You were always at the side of justice. With this simple logic, the U.S. has been spending huge USD and precious human resources for those wars.

This is a universal picture which you often encounter in your life. For example, cult religious groups such as Oumu Shinri Kyo played similar actions to the ones conducted by the U.S. Oumu seemed to believe that they were at the justice side, and all the worlds constructed outside Oumu were at the evil side, thus, Oumu had to attack the evils.

The same concept can be applied to our individual households. If a wife and her husband are both naïve and very honest, then they have to face many difficulties because honest people is always fighting against something (or, people who are always fighting against something are called as honest people.) If the wife and her husband find themselves at the side of justice and the remaining others at the side of evil, then the wife and her husband have a possibility to attach the remaining others.

In this sense, it is one of good ideas that we hold evils inside our own home.

Private Life

A couple of years ago I read a book with the title “Einstein: His Life and Universe” written by Walter Isaacson. This book is a biography of Dr. Einstein. According to the book, when teaching theoretical physics in a university, Dr. Einstein said to his students “You can ask me anything that you are interested in except for my private life.”

Indeed, Dr. Einstein had a deep story in his private life. He and his first wife had two boys and one girl. Or more correctly, Dr. Einstein and his girlfriend who would become his first wife got the girl before their marriage. The girl, however, was transferred to a friend of the wife soon after her birth, and Dr. Einstein had hardly or never contacted the girl after her leave. The reason why she left was unclear.

The younger son of Dr. Einstein had disability in his mental health, and did not have good physical strength. Although his first wife always took great care of the younger son, he passed away in relatively younger ages, I forgot the correct age, but probably in the 20s of the younger son.

The first wife of Dr. Einstein was his classmate in their university. Her major was physics, and had a good talent in science. She helped so much Dr. Einstein develop special relativity when he was 25 or 26 years-old. The relationship between her and Dr. Einstein was good in their initial stage of the marriage, but later, it got worse and worse. They lived together at one time, but lived in a separate location at other time, and finally they were divorced.

I think that the reason why Dr. Einstein did not want to talk about his private life to his students was simple; it was too long. It would take too long time to explain his private life as per requests from his students. Actually, the author of the biography required more than 800 pages of a paperback to explain his private life in place of Dr. Einstein.

On the other hand, how about my private life? I have little to talk about. I have a wife, but no kids. When I am out of office, I usually read novels, listen music from YouTube, write this kind of posts, or strengthen background knowledge of my profession by studying technical books. I like to walk around my town or take a bicycle just to go around. Nothing seems special, and everything seems usual.

I have made some friends through activities of a non-profit organization, Citizen Science Initiative Japan. A head office of the organization is very close to my home, it took just five to ten minutes by walk from my home to there. About once in a month, I visited the office and talked with friends about something. In recent days, out topics were mainly related to 3.11. Many of the people gathering at the office have their interests in science, and their professions are also related to science. Thus, it is comfortable for me to contact them since sometimes we do not need additional explanation or clarification when talking about science.

A record of my private life is important. Although or because my private life is not special, I try to keep recording my viewpoints on my daily life. This motivation originates from my primitive desires.

Staying Alone in Home

I am in my summer vacation. I have been and will be out of my office from August 19 (Friday) to August 25 (Thursday). I have been staying in my home since starting the vacation, hardly have gone out of my home except for having a short walk around my home.

During the walk, I have visited a coffee shop nearby my home to have a cup of coffee. It was nice coffee with a bit of a strong flavor. Its cost was 190 yen, and could be accessible from my home a couple of minutes by foot. Still now, I remember that the first two or three sips of the coffee were the best, anyway.

When strolling around my home, I also have visited a used-book store just to see around; but, I found a book written by Toshiko Hirata interesting, and bought it. It was a poem typed story. The author has a good talent to express herself with nice lyrics. In her book, she focused on a relationship between a husband and a wife. A course of ordinary and usual relationships were depicted with a nice writing style.

My wife has been and will be also out of our home due to her business for this week.

I found it comfortable to be alone in my home. I ate every meat with reading books. I have successively completed reading novels. I am currently reading “Underground” by Haruki Murakami. This book is not a novel, but a non-fiction typed story with a root from the terror occurred in subways on March 20, 1995.

The situation in early 1995 in Japan was quite similar to the one in early 2011. In January 1995, a massive earthquake struck a center of Kobe, and more than 5,000 people were dead. Subsequently, in March 1995, the terror occurred in Tokyo. The nuclear accident at Fukushima followed by the massive earthquake occurred in March 2011. Natural disasters seem to be liked with human origin disasters.

In my office, I spent many of my time in communicating with my colleagues, bosses, subcontractors both in Japanese and English. Day by day, I communicated and communicated and communicated. I am a consultant as well as an engineer. I need time to prepare management plans or technical documents as for my work as an engineer. Along with this, I have to grasp needs of my clients and provide them with adequate solutions as a consultant. Thus, day by day, I have communicated with relevant people and prepared documents, and provided them with the documents, and again communicated with….

As a whole, I like working as a consultant, but, at the same time, I like to stay alone in my home. Reading and thinking alone are good and quite relaxed.

Celebrating New Fiscal Year

In Japan, we are living according to the fiscal calendar, which starts on April 1st and ends on March 31st. Enrollment and graduation ceremonies of school are held in April and March respectively, and freshmen join his/her company in April. The annual account settlement date of many companies in Japan is March 31st. Thus, I like to celebrate April 1th because this day means something new.

A couple of managers left our company today (Mar. 31st), and they will work at our associated companies. A new manager will come to our company tomorrow (Apr. 1st.) The internal environment of my company will be updated in response to this personnel change. In addition, the external environment of my company will also rapidly change in accordance with the earthquake and subsequent crisis.

I am feeling rather fresher on this New Fiscal Year’s Day than the last New Year’s Day.

Life without Novel

I have read little novels recently. This is simply because I have little time to set aside for reading novels. Over the past several years, I have devoted myself to reading technical documents relating to my profession when I had the opportunity to decide what documents I would read. Some technical documents have inspired me, and led me to add value to my job. Since technical knowledge has sometimes provided me with job opportunities, reading technical documents should be welcomed and thus done. This is a simple logic, and I have followed it accordingly.

I have been working intensively over the past two months. I have been reading or writing technical documents even when it was a holiday. I have not allowed myself to read novels because I did not have time for any leisure.

Today is my holiday, and I had some time to talk to my friend. I am still in a relaxed mode. However, I will read a set of technical documents in an hours time. Although I woul like to read a novel now, I have to read the technical documents by tomorrow, instead. I have to realize that there are many technical documents which should be read preferentially.

When I was in university, I studied my research themes and related fields as intensively as I am doing my business now. I read academic papers and textbooks from morning to night. However, I read novels at night and on holidays. I came back home around 7 p.m. at that time, so I had some time to read novels. The novels nurtured my humanity.

The intensity of my business schedule is expected to ease in April. I will come  home early, and read novels at night. Because I have a job now, I keep prioritizing my job over reading novels.

Final Destination

We were born to live, and the final destination of our life is death. Our body becomes organic material at the time of death, and our spirit disappears simultaneously. We are all living and walking for the final destination.

I am now 30 years old, and since I do not have fatal diseases so far, I will not lose my life soon, probably. Death does not exist within my territory both physically and psychologically. The news of someone’s death makes me sad and I feel sympathy for the bereaved family member especially if they are close to me. However, I cannot relate death directly to myself even when I hear such news.

I am currently living just to live, not to die. Some of my relatives are old, so they will pass away according to the natural rule of the biological organism. However, I do not know whether or not the death of my relatives raises my awareness of death.

Death means the end of life. No one can put back the clock. Though I am living with paying little attentions to death, I maintain one principle that I would like to feel satisfaction with my life at the last moment of my life.

Today, I heard that the mother of one of my friends passed away last night. In my high school days, my friends and I have visited his home uncountable times, and she kindly welcomed us most of the time. This article is dedicated to her.

Cold Night

Today was cold. It was probably the coldest day this winter. Since my home is made from wood and soil, and many decades have passes since this house was built, it is very cold even when I am inside my home. I am typing this document in front of my PC in a room, and I am not currently using a heating system in this room. So, my fingers are getting cold.

I could use the air-conditioner system now if I wish to. However, I do not like to use it now because sometimes I feel very comfortable when I am in a very cold room. My home is away from the traffic on the streets, so the tranquility is prevailing. I would like to keep this silence rather than listen to the noise of the air-conditioner. I  have wrapped myself in a blanket and warm clothing.

The New Year Resolution

Japanese people traditionally take a short vacation over the New Year holidays. The holidays usually start from December 29th and end on January 3rd in the next year. I planned to take a vacation this season as well. Actually, I went to my wife’s parents’ home in Wakayama and stayed there.

I went to the Ise Shrine to celebrate the start of the year 2011. The place was like a sanctuary, and much remains the same probably since a long time ago. It was a nice sightseeing trip. One regrettable thing was that I had an only limited time during the stay in the Shrine. I had only one and a half hours there, so that I had no other time except to visit the main building. There were many other accessory (or secondary) buildings and a lot of space where I could feel relaxed. There was serenity and many natural elements in the Ise Shrine. I want to take the next opportunity to visit the Shrine again in the future.

Except for the short trip, I was in front of my laptop PC almost all of the time during the stay in Wakayama. I had several tasks which had to be done by the first business day of the year 2011. My mother-in-law said that “Oh, you have to be engaged in your job even on your vacation, haven’t you? How hard your work is.” I wanted to explain why I had to work in the home, but, since it was a little complex, I gave up making the explanation.

The year 2010 was over, and the New Year started. My New Year’s Resolution is to live in harmony with myself. In the 2010, I sometimes experienced nearly to lose my mental and/or physical balances. In some time, reasons of the imbalances originated from my work. Continuous overwork and strong pressures caused me anxiety. In other times, the causes were related to my private life. I want to reduce the occurrences of such negative emotion in this year. I want to keep serenity and good harmony inside me like an atmosphere prevailing in the Ise Shrine. I hope that the year 2011 will be a good year for you and me.

2011 after 2010

Today is the last day of the year 2010. I am now in my wife’s parents’ home located at the south of Wakayama. Although this location is regarded as a warm place, there is a snow storm outside the windows of this house.

2010 was a good year for me. I got married with my wife last December, so this December was the first anniversary of my marriage. Prior to the marriage, I expected a lot. My wife is good at art and calligraphy. On the other hand, my handwriting and artistic sense were poor. Thus, I imaged and wished that I would gain a good sense of it after I got married with her. However, the reality was different. She remains a good artist, but my handwriting has never improved. Being with her is not enough for improving my artistic sense.

The same can be said of her. She is not good at English. On the other hand, I like to use English even in my daily life. At the beginning phase of our marriage, I sometimes expressed my feelings in English while speaking with her. However, I had to explain the meaning of the English phrases in Japanese; otherwise she could not understand me. Day by day, our conversations were limited to ones based on the Japanese language.

I will spend the year 2011 with my wife. I have learnt the reality of my married life from the one year experience. In 2011, I will have less expectations for my married life than in 2010. This makes me feel comfortable.

The end of the year 2010

Today is Dec. 11th, so there remain only 20 days until the New Year comes. I became 30 years old this year. Looking back on this year, good memories exist there.

As for my private life, my honeymoon to Mumbai was one of the most exciting events this year. There existed another world. The climate was hot and humid. The city was highly air-polluted through particulate matter. Municipal waste was scattered every here and there. While I was moving to the northern part of the city by train, I found that there was a large slum town, called Dharavi, along the railway line. Above all, my first impression of Mumbai was that the city was in chaos and there were many things to improve.

On the other hand, while I was in Mumbai, I stayed at the same hotel. The hotel was located along the long seashore road called Marine Drive. The scenery was good. I could see not only the Arabian Sea, but also the skyscrapers in Mumbai from the windows of the hotel. When night fell, people gathered almost every night along the road.  Many people came. They just sat, and talked to each other, seemingly relaxed themselves. My wife and I talked to some of them. They were all kind.

Mumbai is currently developing at high speed. Mumbai is a metropolitan city like Tokyo, Shanghai, and New York, but, none of the metropolitan cities in the world are equivalent to Mumbai. Although Western culture prevailed in Mumbai, there remained inherent customs. Indian women wore traditional saris. They like eating spicy curry. Religious spirit is rooted there.

In terms of my professional life, transactions with foreign countries have increased this year. When materials, people, and capitals move across a border, an environmental business market is created. Since globalization is currently expanding in all business fields, more demand for environmental consultancies will be created in the future.

Suppose that when undertaking business activities in a new country, business operators must survey the business market in the host country in advance. In the survey, an environmental regulatory framework must be also clarified. In the next step, measures for securing compliance with the regulations in the host country must be considered. Environmental consultants play a good role in supporting clients in this phase.

In addition, there are merger and acquisition activities across a border and investment activities for foreign countries. During the course of the M&A and investment, financial and environmental due diligence are conducted. No investor wants to invest in business organizations which have a fragile financial stability or violate environmental regulations. This audit-like activity is called due diligence. In the course of environmental due diligence, environmental consultants are routinely hired.

Other than the business sectors, I have been supporting domestic governmental offices to strengthen the effectiveness of their regulatory systems since I started to work as an environmental consultant. In response to orders from governmental offices, I have surveyed the current situation in Japan about air pollution, water pollution, and soil contamination by a literature search or by field investigation.

Many people have asked me why I went to Mumbai on my honeymoon. I wanted to stay there and feel how high the speed of development was there. Japan completed a high level of economic growth in the 1960s. Mumbai was currently in a such phase. The high economic growth in Japan accompanied severe environmental issues like Minamata disease or Yokkaichi asthma. A large development potential accompanying negative issues such as the current status of Mumbai seemed to be equivalent to the initial phase of the relationship of my wife and me. Thus, I wanted to share Mumbai with my wife.

How to Resist Temptation

I moved to a new house a couple of weeks ago. When I was packing my clothes, books, and diary in the course of moving, I found a past article in my diary. The article was written about 6 to 7 years ago. Even though it was written that long ago, I was clearly reminded of my past psychological torture.

The title of the article was “Negative Aspects of a Condom.” The logic of the article was the following.

The invention of the condom has brought certain merits to human beings. The condom plays a central role in decreasing opportunities for unwanted pregnancy as well as preventing the spread of venereal diseases such as HIV.

However, I cannot neglect the negative aspects of the invention of the condom. One of the worst impacts is the propagation of psychological tortures arising from safety sex.

If there were no condoms, and society were to have an equivalent scientific and medical knowledge to our modern world, we would hesitate to make love, even with our beloved one. For example, our scientific knowledge would tell us that infection of venereal diseases and unwanted pregnancies result from making love. These facts would cause fear in people, and the fear would become a driving force for people to feel hesitant about sex.

However, we have invented the condom, and a condom can prevent the disease and unwanted pregnancy. In this respect, we could sweep away the fear. Accordingly, we can make love safely. This is good for people. Thus, the developed world and international agencies such as the World Health Organization promote condoms for all the people who need it.

However, I sense one negative impact originating from the invention of a condom. The condom has deprived us of the fear to resist temptation to make love. Premarital sex accompanies psychological tortures. Young couples have no other choice but to resist premarital sex, not out of a fear, but out of their own morality and patience. However, generally speaking, since morality and patience are not enough to prevent the desire for sex, young couples are easily trapped in a sex life. Premarital sex life produces complex emotions, which are not easily solved.

Human beings are weak. Thus, we are always in invisible fear of something. If one of the fears is wiped out, we will feel a strong gravitation toward the absence of the fear.

A Promise

When I was a student, I had a girlfrined. Like other couples, we left each other. Before the separation, we made a promise. We promised to do our best performance individually in the future. We believed that if we continued to do our best, then the records of our future performances would be uploaded on the Internet. We said that we could find each other's record if it was necessary.

Some years have passed since then. When I search my name through Google now, I can find my past records. Most of them are my professional activities on environmental consulting services. Until now, I have not broken the promise.

Even though I have not been conscious of the promise most of the time, the promise may constantly encourage me to sustain my motivation in the background of my mind. I made a good promise.

Love Marriage or Arranged Marriage

Couples get married through love marriages or arranged marriages. Although love marriages sound romantic, unmarried people usually find it difficult to meet good partners.

As far as I know, arranged marriages had been common in Japan before the World War II. My grandfathers and grandmothers both on my father's and mother's sides got married through arranged marriages. Love marriages were very seldom at that time.

However, love marriages started to prevail in Japan after the World War II. This is partly because the U.S. infused the concepts of freedom of love and freedom of marriage into Japan at that time. The concepts must have motivated youngsters to get married due to love.

As for modern times, love marriages have become frequent. Unmarried people tend to avoid searching potential partners through arrangements. Love marriages are common in Japan now. However, my friends living in India said otherwise. Many couples in India get married through arranged marriage. There seem to few barriers to arranged marriages in India.

When I heard it from my friends in India, I though that there were more freedoms in India than in Japan. Even though people can choose between arranged marriages and love marriages in Japan, Japanese society implicitly forces unmarried people to choose the love marriages.

Pornographic sites

The Internet is full of information ranging from scientific, artistic, to business topics. However, I cannot neglect pornographic topics when talking about the Internet. If I were to goole pornographic keywords, I would hit millions of websites dealing with porn. This is the strongest supporting tool, especially for teenage boys who are hungry for female's naked bodies.

If I were to be a teen in this Internet area, I would be trapped in and addicted to the Internet. Every night, everyday, I would search and download or watch pornographic sites. No hindrance would be placed in the way of my addiction. This would be certain.

In addition, pornographic sites are like labyrinths. There are many links, one from another. Sometimes it is a very long way to reach a satisfactory site. This difficulty also would drive young people to get addicted to the porn.

Human right issues have been of concern to people with a lot of common sense. Although I totally agree with the illegality of uploading and downloading, for example, child porn photos or movies, the ethics itself is inadequate to prevent teenange boys from watching such sites. In addition, imposing legal punishments seems technically difficult to implement. Furthermore, technological countermeasures such as filtering have not been distributed in Japan. Today's teens have no other choices but to waste time and energy through Internet surfing. Oh, how sad this reality is.

Eiken Grade 1 Test

I will take the Eiken Grade 1 test next Sunday. This will be the third time that I have taken the test. I got better scores in the second test than in the first one, but I failed to pass even the second test. I would like to gain a higher score in the third test, and pass it.

Eiken Grade 1 is regarded as one of the most difficult English tests in Japan. One of my relatives has passed it. My parents has referred to her as "that lady who is the Eiken Grade 1 holder."

As far as I can see the score gained at the second test, I would have passed the exam if I had not made 2 mistakes. However, even now, I cannot believe why I have gained such a high English capability that I would have nearly passed the Eiken Grade 1. I've neither had an experience to live in a foreign country outside Japan, nor been enrolled in a school or university specializing in foreign language studies.

I have a Japanese friend who is fond of communicating in English. I have written letters in English or spoken English language often when I have contacted him. This communication created an opportunity for me to eliminate any phychological barriers to English in my teen's.

Moreover, I have contacted, not limited to the friend, many foreign friends, teachers, clients, and contractors both in my personal life and business life. All the opportunities have nurtured my English skill.

My parents will be surprized if I pass the Eiken Grade 1 test.

A Resolution on my Thirtieth Birthday

I turned thirty years old today. I am now healthy, and have a place to work. I have novels which I want to read. (I am now fascinated by "1984" by George Orwell, and wish to finish reading it within this October.)  I have many haves. I feel good now, and today is my thirtieth birthday.

No one is able to forecast one's future life and career; neither scientist, business executives, nor engineers. All we can do is to live our life & perform our role imposed by our society as best we can. As a result, so-called fortune or success will turn up. Compromises and laziness will create no satisfaction. I wish to conduct my best performance during my 30's. This is my resolution made on my thirtieth birthday.

Yes, no one knows his/her own future, but I think that if I keep doing the following things during my 30's, I will enter my 40's with great pleasure.
- To keep recording my life in a blog/diary,
- Commuting to my office by walking from my home,
- Reading/watching/listening good novels/movies/music,
- Socializing with nice people.

Purchase of House

One of my friends got married a couple of months ago, and he will hold his wedding reception in the coming months. I talked with him over the phone today. He said that he was currently preparing invitation cards for guests. He requested my wife and me to attend the reception. He also talked about his new life with his new wife. It sounded good. Even over the phone, I could imagine his face seemed content with the marriage.

On the phone, I informed him of my decision that I would move to a new house. The house is close to my current home. I rent the current home on the condition that I have to leave this place in a couple of years. I, thus, have been looking for a new place to live for about one year. And, I found the one. The new house is also a rented house.

The friend mentioned that he and his wife sometimes have wondered about purchasing a house. They now rent a house and live there like I do. The friend asked me whether I have a plan to purchase a house. I answered no, because I do not want to bear a housing loan. The friend said he will purchase one if he finds a good one, since paying a rent creates nothing.

I remembered that some other friends of mine had bought a house, and my colleagues own their house. I suddenly realized that I compared my life with that of my friends and colleagues. When I was single, I did not do the comparison. If I were to purchase my house, would I feel superior to my friends who would not own their own house?

Thinking on a possibility of purchasing a house reminded me of one phrase which my former girlfriend said during my student days. She said that any materials would not satisfy me. House, car, money, nor any countable materials. I would feel satisfaction only when I accomplish self-imposed goals or encounter serendipity. The goals would not be materials, but be uncountable things, such as understanding complex logic, deepening friendships, or falling in a love.

More than 5 years has passed since I graduated my university. I have not yet bought a house not because of ideological reasons. But because I do not want myself to be bonded with a long term housing loan.