Shinjuku Gyoen: a vast park in downtown Tokyo

Shinjyuku Gyoen was constructed on the place of a private mansion belonging one of regional ruler "daimyo" of the Edo era (17th to 19th century).

Completed in 1906 as an imperial garden, it was re-designated as a national garden after the Second World War and opened to the public. Shinjuku Gyoen, with 58.3 ha(144 acres) in size and a circumference of 3.5 km, blends three distinct styles, French Formal Garden, English Landscape Garden and Japanese Traditional Garden, and is considered to be one of the most important gardens from the Meiji era (beginning of 20th century).



I went there with my son on weekend afternoon. As you can see the home page of it, it looks like urban oasis. http://www.env.go.jp/garden/shinjukugyoen/english/index.html

Many citizen and tourists enjoy walking on seeing various kinds of trees and planets on the background of skyscrapers, or are just relax, taking a nap on green grass.

My son becomes to like the pound locating in the Japanese Garden, looking at various colors of carps.

Working in University Hospital in Tokyo

As soon as I begin working in Tokyo, my life style changes completely as well other Japanese who had lived in Vienna.

I am working from 7 PM to 10PM around weekday and also daytime weekend. Since it may be usual situation in Tokyo, I can understand it regardless of what I want to do. But you must suppose what I have to do from morning till night, everyday, even in not a high volume center on the base of international standard.

The answer should be that a young surgeon must work as ICU care staff postoperatively and medical secretary, as well as surgeon. If anything, his/her work may be occupied mostly as like secretary including making medical record on hospital chart, department chart, filling in domestic society format, and writing letters to insurance company and so on.

Moreover Japanese traditional custom, which is that young workers had better to work longer time than their boss who are likely to want to stay their office long time without having hobby, prevent from improvement of working conditions. Therefore we have operation only 3 days a week, but pretty busy everyday.

I used to play my son all weekend in Vienna, but it becomes rear. Using Sunday afternoon I took my son to zoo and aqua museum in Tokyo for a month finally.

Ueno Zoo is well known as one of biggest one in Japan. He enjoyed looking at panda and elephant. I bought a year pass in spite of whether I can come here often.



Next weekend I took him to a nice aqua museum in the Kasai Rinkai Park, my favorite.


You can see a group of tunas wandering in a huge doughnut shape glass tank. I believe it shall be fabulous beyond imagination.


He also likes it very much.

They were short time with him in the meantime of working but I refreshed a little bit.
It is starting busy weekday again as usual.

医学生Maxとの再会

もう１か月程前になるが、ウィーン医科大学の医学生Maxと再会した。

彼の卒業論文指導者が自分の指導教授であったことと、その教授の動物実験（つまり僕の実験）を手伝ってくれていたことで仲良くなった。Native English speakerと遜色ない英語力があり、フランス語、スペイン語も話せる。もちろん母国語のドイツ語も。しかも心配りが出来る優秀な人物だ。指導教授には３０人程の学生がついていたが、「一番優秀な者だけが日本に行く」とよく言っていた。まさにその通り。

自分が語学的に困ったときなどは何度も助けてもらったし、拙い英語会話につき合ってもらった。その彼が昨年末から交換留学で東京に来ていた。３ヶ月間の滞在期間が終わるこの時期に東京に戻った我が家族と再会を果たした。

家内も息子も彼の車に乗せてもらったこともあり、よく覚えている。
Maxと叙々苑で日本の味「焼き肉」を楽しみ、引っ越し直後で混沌としているわが家にも来てもらった。



彼の地方に行きたいとの要望で、岐阜の親父宅も紹介した。翌週はそこに滞在し、さらに京都、大阪に観光に行くとのことだった。その後のメールによると、大阪ではお好み焼きを楽しみ、四国では姫路城の美しさに感動し、福岡では豚骨ラーメンを楽しんだと。さらに広島、長崎の両市にも滞在し、歴史についても理解を深めたと。さらに別府温泉、宮島の鳥居まで観光したとのことだった。

なんと日本人の自分でも行ったことのないところまで、結局彼は、東京の医学部附属病院の臨床研修に留まらず、北海道から九州まで本当の日本を歩いて回ったことになる。

さらに感心するのは、僕が会ったときにはかなりの日本語を話していた。１年半ウィーンに住んだが片言のドイツ語しか話せない自分だが、彼は日本各地を一人旅行するのに必要な程度の日本語を身につけていた。

その彼はおいしく健康的な日本食、奇麗で優しい日本女性、清潔感のある日本の街並みが気に入ったと。また何かの機会に是非再会したい。