Do You Believe In Young People?

What is freedom like? In Japan people don’t know, especially young people don’t know the answer, I feel. They also don’t know human rights.

They have been controlled since they were small by their parents, school teachers, customs of the society. They have never tasted freedom, I have to suppose. Some days ago I was surprised to see young mothers wanted their kids to be controlled with school rules. They must feel easier in the cage. I often hear that students prefer school uniform because they don’t have to think what to wear every morning.

People have to work so hard, and the Japanese word “karoshi”, death from too much hard work, is known in the world. The power of labor’s unions is very weak now, and young people don’t even know they have the right to make or join the union. When someone has any trouble, they think just he or she is responsible for it. How difficult to live in such a society.

 In Korea young people went out to the streets with candles and overthrew the president. Recently young people and women stood up against Trump in the U.S. But in this country we seldom see young people in the activities for freedom or peace. What is wrong? What was wrong?      

 I am sometimes too pessimistic. But it was a beautiful day today, and I joined the cultural festival of the town and sung. The name of the song we sang is “ I believe”. What a nice title!  When we give up, our dream will disappear.  

Pickles Might Be an Enemy of Women

 Most of the leaves have fallen in my garden and the autumn sunlight brightens the garden now. We have a lot to do before winter.

 My husband cut the firewood and brought it near the house. Today most of the people in Japan don’t use the bare fire to heat the house, but we use wood stove (also floor heating with kerosene), so preparing the firewood is an important work in this season.

 We have to harvest the vegetables for winter like turnips, Chinese cabbages, and many kinds of beans. People in this area make a lot of pickles in huge kegs, and enjoy all through the winter. Almost all the women of my age make great pickles.  I’m making dried sweet potato and dried persimmons which my family love as snacks.

 Today only old people living in country do these kinds of things. Younger people work so hard and they are living very busy lives. When they need some food, they just go to the supermarkets. Those old works are really time consuming. But as a retired person, I do such works enjoying the gifts from the soil and the sun.

  But on the other hand, those works might have shut the women up in the kitchen, I think. Even now many people think cooking, cleaning, and raising children are woman’s job. Women’s role is staying home and not talking about politics or other difficult matters. It’s a shame that Japan has only a few women leaders.       

 Pickle mi

On a Chilly Dark Day

　After the retirement I have been living a stress-less life. Yes, school teacher is a really stressful job in Japan. My headache, backache, and stomachache I suffered are gone. I am now enjoying chorus, hiking, handicrafts, and working in my garden.

  But recently I am feeling a little uneasiness. Are they all I want to do? Are they enough I should do?  I’m not talented. I’m not capable. But what should I do now?

  Probably my uneasiness is caused of some recent news;

 9000 people are walking from middle America to the USA through Mexico looking for jobs and safety. Leaving their home and everything behind, they have to walk to an uncertain goal. How hard! What is waiting for them is Trump!s troops at the border!         

  Trump’s loud, arrogant, selfish voice seems destroying rational, democratic, or peace loving world. And I see the fervent audiences behind Trump abusing everything he hates. And in many other countries people are welcoming Little Trump.

  Last Saturday I joined a gathering in front of the Congress House to appeal not to change the constitution, especially article 9, which declares we will never go to war.  Abe fanatically says he will change the article next year. This is the very crisis of peace and democracy. But the number of the people in front of the Congress House was less than 20 thousands.

   Democracy is so difficult to keep on. Hatred and selfishness infect easily.

  It’s chilly and dark day. I am too pessimistic today.