March 31st - the final day of the 2010 fiscal year

It is March 31,the final day of the 2010 fiscal year. I have completed and printed the document on the 2010's final accounts and the 2011's budget plan for managing the club house for our neighborhood association. The 2010's final accounts and the 2011's budget plan will be submitted to the annual meeting of our neighborhood association held on April 28th.
By the way, what will become of the national budget plan for the 2011 fiscal year? All the opposition parties are against the budget proposal by the governing parties. And,in addition,the disaster by the March 11 Tohoku and Kanto Earthquake happened. How much money will it cost to reconstruct the earthquake and tsunami stricken areas and the whole Japan? Anyway,we will have to reconstruct Japan however hard it will be. We will have to put up with a lot of things we have never dreamed of.

We feel of spring, but ........

When we think of the victims of the earthquake and tsunami, we feel very gloomy, and,of course,very sorry for them. According to today's news,the people living within a radius of 20 km from the crippled nuclear power plant had to move again to another evacuation center for the third time. I watched them, on TV, riding the bus to an evacuation center in Saitama prefecture,south of Fukushima prefecture. They,young and old,looked quite exhausted. The nuclear reactors in Fukushima are still out of control,and what is worse, the Tokyo Electric Power Company admitted there was radiation leakage in the trench near the plant.The level of radiation around the power plant was 1,860 times higher than the avarage level on March 26. 1,860 times!
A horrible figure!
As of March 30, the number of dead people is 11,232, missing people,18,347, evacuees,174,743.
It is getting warmer and warmer,and we feel of spring but ............

A Charity succer match was held in Osaka.

This morning I logged in Facebook, and found some names of four former students of mine. I sent messages to them, and have received answers from two of them.I didn't know how to use it well, but I found it interesting because,if I can make contact with any one person that I know,through him/her,I can find other friends or aquaintances from his/her company.
This evening,a charity match of soccer between the Japan national team and the all-star team of J-League was held in Osaka. The result was the Japan national team's win by 2-1. But the most exciting scene was when Kazu Miura (44 years old ) got a beautiful goal in the second half. The purpose of this charity match was to encourage the people living in the areas stricken by the earthquake and tsunami. I hope the people in those areas were really encouraged. Among the players,there were two who were from the disaster areas - Kon-no from Sendai,Miyagi, and Ogasawara from Ofunato,Iwate. The stadium was packed with more than 40,000 people.
The number of dead people in the disaster announced today was 11,168 and that of missing people was 18,382.

Death toll from the earthquake and tsunami is over 10,900.

The death toll from the March 11 earthquake and ensuing tsunami is 11,004, and the number of missing people is 18,687 as of Mmarch 29. The number of those with minor and serious injury is 2,776. 180,710 people are still living in 2,024 evacuation centers. The problem of the nuclear power plant is still in very dangerous situation.
From the nuclear reactor,a very high level of radioactivity seems to be leaking.
The people living in the disaster stricken areas and in the evacuation centers are quite exhausted not only phsycally but mentally. How can we support them? A psychiatrist says on TV that the most important thing is to keep contact with each of them and let them feel they are not alone.

A human is not living alone - cannot live alone.

I have sent messages to my friends and relatives since the earthquake and tsunami struck the North-western Tohoku and northern Kanto districts. I have also received many messages from many people in the other parts of Japan and from my friends overseas. Today,from Borcelona,Spain,Emiliano Lorenzo Vicent sent me a message on Facebook. Emiliano is an artist (sculptor)who I met in Nayoro in February three years ago.
Even though we are in such a difficult situation,I feel we are surrounded by people who are so nice to us. We are not living alone, and nobody is. Supported by other people, supporting each other,we are living.

Astrid Chajode, I remembered this name.

When I was looking at the names and photos on Facebook,I found the name "Astrid Chajode". I thought I remembered the name. It seemed to be the name of a Dutch lady,who I had exchanged emails with before. I wrote a message and asked if she was the lady whom I remembered. Almost instantly, she answered saying I was right. I was glad to contact her for the first time in three years. She had a son and a daughter, and her son was working, and her daughter was in Paris three years ago.(I didn't know what she was doing there.) Astrid herself was suffering from serious diabetes, and often couldn't work. I didn't know when she divorced, but,she had been single, anyway. There was another name I knew. If it is the person I know, he is a Spanish artist (sculptor) who came to Nayoro to participate in the International Snow Sculpting Competition in February two years ago. Though I am not used to using Facebook,I will try to contact him.

My email to Torill, a Norwagian friend (abstract)

.............
Well,again,I must tell you about difficulties Japan and Japanese people are facing. As of 25th of March, the death toll the government formally announced is 9,811, and the number of missing people is 19,806. So, if we add the number of dead people to that of missing people, it will run up close to 30,000. And,247,288 people are still living in evacuation centers 30 km radius outside the crippled nuclear power plant. The number of houses broken by the earthquake or washed away by tsunami are uncountable.
Next,the problem of radioactive contamination: Three workers were exposed to high-level radiation at the nuclear power plant yesterday, and two have been taken to hospital. High level of radioactive iodine was detected in water, and the level exceeded safety standards of Tokyo. The Tokyo metropolitan government officials advised the residents to refrain from using tap water to feed infants.
Young voluntary people are getting to the devastated areas, and working desperately working to help the victims. Those young people are our hope. They are our treasures. They will rebuild Japan. They will surely build new Japan,however long a time it will take. I firmly believe it.

The nationwide local government election campaign started.

Four candidates will run for the govenor of Hokkaido. The election will be held on April 7th,Sunday, and on the same day,the Hokkaido Assembly members will be voted. Here in Tomakomai,the municipal assembly election will take place on April 24th.
Speaking of politics,what are the members of the opposition parties in the national diet doing? The members of the ruling parties are desperately working for the people in the area stricken by the earthquake and tsunami. Japan and Japanese people are now in unprecedented crisis condition. When Prime minister Kan called for Mr.Tanigaki, head of the Liberal Democratic party, to get into the Cabinet,he turned down saying that both parties do not have the agreement on policy. I am afraid Mr.Tanigaki does not understand in what kind of situation Japan and Japanese people are now. I think, to help Japan and Japanese people, they don't need such an agreement. Or,the Liberal Democratic party do not want to save Japan from this historical catastrophe?

High School Baseball Invitation tournament ("Senbatsu") began today.

Today,one day less than two weeks after the great earthquake and tsunami hit Tohoku and northern Kanto,the 83rd Senior High School Baseball Invitation Tournament began. Opinions were split over whether the tournament should go ahead,but the organizers decided it should be opened as scheduled. They are hoping that the young students' devotions will encourage people in areas struck by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th. Three games were played today after the simplified opening ceremony.Hokkai Senior High School defeated Soshi Gakuen Senior High School by the score of 2-1.

Prime minister Kan ordered that people should not eat some kinds of vegetables produced in Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures, because they were contaminated with radioactivity. And also the tap water in Tokyo was contaminated,so it was not good for infants younger than one year old to drink. The nuclear reactor No.3 in Fukushima power plant was giving off black smoke again.

Buddhist sutra - I don't understand it at all.

As a vice chairperson of our neighborhood association,I often have to serve as chief of the funeral care-takers. By the way, whenever I attend a Buddhist funeral,I wonder what the Buddhist sutra is. Because almost no one except the monk who is chanting it understands what it means. The atmosphere of the ceremony is very solemn,but even in the solemn atmosphere,the people attending it must always put up with listening to it without understanding the meaning. Once I have heard that the language in Buddhist sutras,or scriptures is old Indian language,Sanskrit. In the long history of Buddhism in Japan,why didn't anybody translate it into Japanese? If the sutras or scriptures were understandable for common people,more people would believe Buddhism even today. It is said that Japanese people nowadays are not as religious as Christian people or Muslims. Some people even say Buddhism in Japan exists only for performing funeral rites. Not only in Buddhism but in any other religion,the most important theme is "salvation". In these difficult times, many people are thirsting for salvation,aren't they?











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Talked on Skype with Takashi and Sachiyo.

I could reach on the phone Mr.Hiroaki Watanabe in Sendai,a former collegue in Tomakomai Higashi Senior High School.He and his wife were safe. He said they were also suffering from shortage of gasoline and food. He also said two of his collegues lost their houses by the tsunami. I felt sorry for them and all the victims of the earthquake and tsunami.
In the afternoon,Takashi and Sachiyo called us from San Jose, California on Skype. They looked very well. They were worrying about the nuclear reactors damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima. But Takashi,as a scientist,said the level of the radioactives detected in vegetables,milk and well water around the power plant was not so high as it would have an influence on the health of people.
Yesterday,20th of March,9 days after the earthquake and tsunami struck North-eastern Japan, a 16-year-old boy and his 80-year-old grandmother were rescued from their collapsed home in Ishinomaki,Miyagi Prefecture. It is miraculous.

I must serve as the chief of the care-takers of a neighbor's funeral tomorrow.

When someone in the neighborhood died,I must sometimes serve as the chief of the funeral care-takers.Yesterday,an 89-year-old lady,named Mrs.Kinu Sekiya,died,and the funeral will take place tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.Tomorrow evening,from 6:30 pm. the wake will be held, and the funeral ceremony from 10:00a.m.the day after tomorrow.I am now writing the draft of the speech I will make at the end of each ceremony,but it is not easy to write about an unknown person,though I was given some materials.
The situation with the troubled nuclear reactors in Fukushima seems to be getting better, but still it is not safe,and water is being discharged with water cannons to cool them down. Thousands of people living within 30 km from the nuclear power plant are evacuating to other prefectures by the government order. The spinach and milk produced in Fukushima are reported to be contaminated with radiation.

I am relieved to have made sure of all my friends' being safe.

I could contact Motomu,my cousin in Miyagi,by cellular phone. Motomu said he was safe, but he was suffering from shortage of oil. And,even today,7 days after the earthquake,they have to spend without electricity. Anyway,I could make sure that all my friends in the area stricken by the earthquake and tsunami were all safe.
I sent emails to Torill in Norway and Maria in Urguay. They responded to my message in which I had mentioned the situation of Japan.
In the afternoon, Mr.Hon-ma,our neighbor,came and said that an old lady in his next-door house passed away. Her funeral will be held on the evening of Monday(vigil)and on the morning of Tuesday next week. I visited the lady's house, and was requested to work as the chief of the care-takers of the funeral,and I accepted it.

I could talk with Tomoko in Sendai on the phone.

Yesterday, I went to hospital for checking my diabetes. HbA1(glycohemoglobin) was 7.3,and yesterday's blood glucose level(2 hours after meal)was 267. Bad,the doctor said.
This morning,I walked for about an hour and a half. On the way,I met Mr.Makino,my former colleague at Higashi Senior High School. He thanked me for sending a condolence telegarm for his mother's funeral. He was on the way to go shopping with his daughter,who was 38 years old. I knew his daughter when she was still a student, but I saw her for the first time in many years.I was surprised to hear she was 38.
In the afternoon, I tried to call Tomoko in Sendai,who I had been unable to contact since the Tohoku Earthquake. To my call, Tomoko's son first answered,saying his mother was safe. I felt relieved. Then,Tomoko came on line. She said she was happy because all her family were safe. But, she said the family of her son's wife lived in Kesen-numa city, which was almost completely destroyed by the tsunami, and they were unable to connect them. Tomoko's son is going to Kesen-numa tomorrow to search for his wife's family and relatives. Tomoko and his son were afraid that they might have died. I do hope they will find them alive in the evacuation center somewhere.

I sent e-mails to my e-mail friends in foreign countries.

This evening I sent e-mails to my friends in several foreign countries. Within an hour,Torill in Norway responded to my mail. I wrote,of course, about the disastrous situation of Japan- about the earthquake and tsunami,about the death toll so far, about how the 336,00 people in the 2,287 evacuation spots are spending, and about the trouble of the nuclear power plant.
Torill from Norway said,"We have only one nuclear reactor,which was built for scientific exploration but I, as well as the other people of Norway, am very much concerned for Japan and Japanese people. He says they are watching the development of the fighting with the troubled nuclear reactors by Japanese engineers, scientists, self-defence forces, etc. from hour to hour on TV. Tomorrow,and after tomorrow,I hope the other friends will respond to my mail,too.
I phoned to Mr.Hosono, a Tomakomai city official in charge of the international human exchange,and said I would not have my Japanese class in the city hall on Fridays this month.I don't feel like having the class in this situation after the Tohoku Earthquake. I am afraid that the security of my sister and her family depends on whether or not the problem of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima can be solved successfully. They live only 70 km away from the power plant.

Ayako and I went to Sapporo to buy our tomb.

I am already 74 years old and my wife,Ayako,is 72. We have talked about where we will have our tomb since last year, and decided to have it in Barato Cemetery in Sapporo,which is close to the place where Haruna,our oldest daughter,lives with her family. The other daughter of ours,Chiaki,also lives with her family in Sapporo. We chose the word "Thank you" for the inscription on our tomb stone.
We have been able to live and enjoy our lives for such a long time by being supported by many people. We have had good family, good friends, good coworkers, good neighbors,etc. We want to say "Thank you" most of all to all the people we have directly and indirectly contacted before our death.

I could contact one of my old friends in Miyagi.

This morning, I, at long last, succeeded in contacting on the phone Terutoshi Onuma in Osaki city,Miyagi prefecture,and could ask about the situation there. First,Terutoshi wasn't at home, because he had driven out to buy gasoline. So,I talked with his wife, whom I had never seen before. She thanked me for my worrying about them,and said that they could have access to electric power for the first time in four days. She said her family were all safe and hadn't heard anyone around them that were damaged by the earthquake. But they were in shortage of gasoline.So, they had to make a line in front of the gas station to buy gasoline. That was why Terutoshi had been out for staying in a row to get gas.
In the afternoon,Terutoshi gave me a call and said he had not heard any one of our old classmates there were damaged by the earthquake. I was relieved. But the boss of our classmates, Mamoru Sugawara, was suffering from cerebral infarction,and was hospitalized in Sendai. Mamoru seemed to be lying unconscious. Isn't it possible for him to recover?
In the evening, the phone rang, and first Ayako answered, but she noticed that the caller was speaking in English. It was from my old e-mail friend in Sri Lanka. I hadn't heard from him for ages, so I was surprised. He asked if we were safe and how was the situation of Japan devastated by the earthquake and tsunami. I thanked him for worrying about us and Japan.

The massive earthquake once in a thousand years upgraded to mag.9.0.

The massive earthquake which happened in the Tohoku and in the North Kanto district on Friday was upgraded to a magnitude of 9.0. This scale of an earthquake is said to happen only once in a thousand years. The tsunami which ensued after the quake devastated almost all the cities,towns and villages along the coast of the Pacific in Tohoku and Northern Kanto. The number of the people killed or missing are far over 10,000, and many were injured. A historical disaster in Japan.
The atomic power plant in Fukushima was broken down, and the cooling system of it is not functioning. The Tokyo Electric Power Co. is now pouring sea water to cool it.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. started power outage in Kanto because of electricity shortage, but it was put into execution later than it had planned. But train services were mostly paralyzed in Tokyo area. Comuters were crowded in and around every station, and many of them coulden't arrive at their offices in time. Are there better ways to save electricity? How about forbidding night businesses? I always think there are too many vending machines everywhere. Can the number of them be reduced?

The greatest earthquake in Japan's history struck Tohoku and Kanto.

On March 11, Friday, at 2:46 pm,a great earthquake hit the Tohoku district and a part of the Kanto District. Big tsunami followed the earthquake and did an immense damage in the district along the coast of the pacific. The scale of the earthquake was 8.8 magnitude, the largest in the history of Japan.
Since yesterday,all the TV stations have been reporting the news about the earthquake and tsunami. Terrible scenes. Buildings in big cities like Sendai have been destroyed and caught fire. Private houses are destroyed. Big oil tanks are exploding here and there. Big tsunami has washed away fishing boats,houses,cars, people,fields,and everything. Hundreds of people have been killed, and thousands are missing. The nuclear power plant in Fukushima is now out of control.
I tried to contact my sister in Fukushima, and my friends in Miyagi on the phone, but the line seemed to be too busy, and I couldn't contact any. I felt worried.
This morning, March 12, Haruna, my daughter in Sapporo, secceeded in calling her aunt in Fukushima,and reported us that they, her aunt and all her family,were all safe. I feel relieved. On the other hand, I still haven't been able to contact my friends in Miyagi,including Tomoko in Sendai. I am just praying God for their being safe.

Ilsemarie in Germany received my parcel.

Ilsemaries letter to me:
Dear Hiroshi,
I received your parcel on Saturday. As my old classmates were visiting me, the parcel was opened while 22 eyes including mine were watching. What a surprise it was to me! I had never seen such beautiful handkerchiefs. Thank you very,very much,Hiroshi and Ayako.
And how wonderful that beautiful letter with photos taken during your stay here at our house! I read it and showed it to my friends. For my 70th birthday,I was given wonderful presents from many friends of mine,among which the friendship with you continuing since 2002 is, I think, especially wonderful. When I said to my friends,"I wish I could go back to 60 years of my age.", one of my friends answered,"You don't have anything you miss during these 10 years,do you?" Oh, I shouldn't forget a lot of happy, enjoyable things happened these past decade. Thank you very much for your friendship. Why don't you come and visit us in Barsinghausen again? How about around October?
Hardy and I are now planning to travel to Middle East. I, as a journalist, want to go to Lebanon to see that massive shrine "Baalbek", but the travel agent says it is dangerous there. My husband Hardy will not agree, so I have given up going to Lebanon.
Please enjoy beautiful spring in Japan,
Thank you again.
Yours,
Ilsemarie

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit Tohoku district.

Today, at 11:45 a.m., an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2,or 5 lower on the Japanese intensity scale, struck Tohoku districk and Tsunami advisory was issued. But,only little tsunami was observed,and there was almost no damage. By the way, I spent eight years there in Tohoku from 8 to 15 of my age, so I have there friends of my junior high school days. I am relieved,anyway.
Tohoku has often been struck by earthquakes. At 6:24 p.m.,May 26,2003,an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 and at 8:43 a.m. June 14,2008, another with a magnitude of 7.2 struck the district. By the latter earthquake,17 people were killed and 6 missing.
In 2007,a year before, Niigata prefecture on the south of Tohoku was hit by a big earthquake,and 15 people were killed and 2,316 were injured.
I sent a letter enclosed two Japanese handkerchiefs as a birthday presents to Ilsemarie in Germany on Monday last week. But I haven't received any response from her. Hasn't it reached her yet? Maybe,she will sent e-mail by tomorrow.

I am getting sick of listening to Japanese political news these days.

The foreign minister resigned because of receiving political donation from a resident of Korean nationality. Today, another minister, this time, the minister of health and welfare,Mr.Hosokawa is facing a barrage of criticism about a pension problem. Day after day,new problems are brought about. I am quite sick of listening to news these days.
It was mostly sunny all day today. In the morning,from 7:30-8:00, I served as a crossing guard for school kids. Then, at around 10:00,I left home for a walking exercise. I first walked east along the walking path(Komorebi-no-michi) along the "By-path" as far as the Tomakomai River. Then I crossed the By-path, and walked along the river toward the Pacific Ocean. I left home thinking of collecting some sea weed on the shore of the sea, but I felt the wind very cold,so I decided to return home. On the way back home, I found some edible mushrooms and I picked them to eat for supper.
In the afternoon, I watched a spring training game of professional baseball between the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the Kobe Orix Buffaloes. The Fighters won by the score of 3-0. The Fighters' pitchers were Yagi, Kida, H.Takeda, Miyanishi,and rookie Inui. Every of them did a very good job, and shut out the Buffaloes of regular members.

Foreign minister Maehara resigned.

Foreign minister Maehara resigned. The reason was that he received 200,000 yen as political funds from a Kerean resident in Japan. According to the Political Funds Control Law,the lawmakers are forbidden to receive political funds from foreign nationals. The reason is that it may affect the lawmaker's political activities. Mr.Maehara, after his father had died when he was young, was taken care of by a woman owner of a broiled meat restaurant who was a Korean resident in Kyoto prefecture, where Mr.Maehara was brought up. Is this against the heart of the law? Japanese opposition parties launched a full-scale attack against the ruling party, and forced Mr.Maehara to resign.
It is now a very critical moment for Japan, because the budget-related bills have not yet been guaranteed to become laws. I want all the Japanese politicians to take responsibility for the people's lives.

Libya - in a chaotic situation

In order to clamp down on people's demonstration calling the leader of the nation to resign,Khadafi administration of Libya are now pointing guns at their people. Hundreds and thousands of people are being killed or wounded. The people of libya have lived under "Colonel" Khadafi's dictatorship for as long as 30 years. Khadafi shouts out loud "I'm a fighter of the revolution!" But what is the revolution for him, or for the people in his nation? If he is the leader of his nation, what is the good cause for killing the people of his own nation? It is even reported that among his soldiers, there are soldiers hired from foreign countries. What is the nation he wants to defend? Who is he defending his nation against? What he wants to defend is nothing but his private interests.
There are still people who are under dictator's regimes. In such countries, mass demonstrations are under way or being planed. And those goverments are clamping down on their people. The internet is said to have triggered off a wave of protests and the movement in a country is easily passed on to another country.
We are now stepping into a new age. Something we haven't experienced may happen.

A "serious student" murdered a three-year-old girl.

A three-year-old girl was killed in a lavatory of a supermarket in Kumamoto. While her parents were shopping, she left her parents telling them she would go to the bathroom, and had never returned. The police checked the surveillance cameras and found the suspect and arrested. The suspect was a twenty-year-old private university student. The girl's body was found by the police in a river about 600 meters away.
It is said that the student had been hanging out in the market for about three hours before he saw the girl go into the lavatory. He said he captured her, and choked her off,and put the body into his rucksack he had prepared. Why he did it is unknown.
According to the reports from the media, the student is a very good and serious man.
He entered the university wanting to help poor people. So he was majoring in welfare.
Many incomprehensible crimes happen these days. The purposes of the crimes are incomprehensive. And the criminals are "good","serious","inteligent" people. What is wrong with our society? We have to consider.

Ayako has gone to her ceramic art class.

In the evening every week, Ayako goes to her ceramic art class. Today is Friday, so she has gone to the class. When we have grown old, it is good mentally, as well as physically, to go out, and do something actively. If we become uninterested in things around us,it means we have really grown old.
I believe I can keep myself healthy as long as I am interested in English, sports, gardening,growing vegetables,traveling,nature,activities of the neighborhood association etc.
It has snowed since yesterday,though not so much here in Tomakomai,but in Sapporo,Otaru, and some other places along the Japan Sea,it has snowed heavily. In Chitose,the airport was closed, and more than 130 passengers were stranded at the airport. It seems to take more time for spring to come.
Bryan did not come to my Japanese class, so I did not have to go to the city hall.

I am watching a spring training game between Fighters and Swallows on TV.

It is 7:00 p.m. I am watching a spring training game of the Japanese professional baseball leagues between the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on TV. For the Fighters,the ace pitcher Yu Darvish is pitching. The game is now in the 4th inning, and the score is 0-0, tie. There is no problem in Darvish's pitching. What I worry about is both Tanaka, the second baseman, and Koyano,the third baseman, have got injured. Tanaka, the lead-off batter, has fractured the bone of his right hand finger. Koyano,last season's leader of RBI in the Pacific League, was hit by a pitch in the yesterday's game and injured with his right hand wrist. It will take at least four weeks for both players to come back, so I am afraid it will not be in time for the opening of the pennant race.
In yesterday's game,the golden rookey Yuki Saito pitched for two innings and gave no runs. Nakata,Fighter's young hopeful,is now doing a good job.

I can hardly wait for spring to come.

Last week,we had some warm days, and the snow around my house seemed to have almost melted away. But, yesterday was a windy,cold day. This morning,snow fell and covered the roads again, though not so deep. I had to shovel out the snow before I started on my routine walk. This time of every year,I can hardly wait for spring to come. Ayako often receives emails from Sachiyo's mother in Shikoku,where spring flowers are begining to bloom. ( Sachiyo is our son's wife ) How envious!
Tomoko, my old friend in our junior high school days, sent me an e-mail attached her photo which was taken in front of her family altar with her granddaughter. In the altar, I could see her late husband's photo, too. He looks like a very gentle,kind man. Tomoko is suffering from a serious disease of her lungs. Her husband was caring for her, but, alas, he got cancer and passed away. When I went to Narugo, Miyagi prefecture, to attend our reunion last September, it was reported by the party organizers. After returning home to Hokkaido,I began to write letters to Tomoko living in Sendai with her son's family,asking how she is getting along. I wish I could make her cheer up,even if only a little.

Now it is March.

It is the 1st of March today, which I could hardly wait for to come,though it is still so chilly. We will have a few more weeks to come before it gets warm.
But this weekend,J-League soccer season will be kicked off. The National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament (Senbatsu) will start on the 25th of this month. The opening of the 2011 pennant race of the professional baseball is not so far away. I am looking forward to these sports events.
Political news: The fiscal 2011 budget bill passed the House of Representatives this morning at 3:00 a.m. It will be enacted by the 31st of March. But related bills are expected to face more difficulty, because all the opposition parties are against them. If those bills do not become law, the budget will be unable to be used. Then, what will become of Japanese economy? How will it affect our everyday lives?

Cheating in the university entrance exam on the Net.

In the entrance exam of Kyoto University, questions from math and English exams were posted on an Internet bulltin board while the exams were still going on. Who did this? And I am surprised at how quickly the candidate could send e-mail messages from a mobile phone. The questions were posted on Yahoo's Chiebukuro (knowledge bag) website. During the math exam,the sender asked,"Please submit not only the answer but the calculations that are needed to come up with that answer." The similar questions by the same ID user were posted on the website from questions of several exams of some other prestigious universities including Doshisha in Kyoto,and Waseda,and Rikkyo, both in Tokyo. If this kind of candidate could pass the exam successfully, what would become of him or her in the future? He/she would cheat in the exams in his/her university again and again. Even the graduation thesis could be cheated in the future. What is the university for such a person? What is raison d' etre of the university?
A senior official of the Education,Culture,Sports and Technology Ministry said,"This is an incident that has shaken the foundation of the entrance examination system." I agree with this. Candidates who have been struggling to prepare for the examinations day and night are very furious. I feel furious,too.