through a rice field zone near Tokyo
One of very common landscapes in JapanThe Silk Road 25 Years Ago
(La route en soie il y a 25 ans)
The other day, I was watching the History Channel of a cable TV network.
It showed an NHK's old documentary series: "Silk Road."
Crews of NHK, Japan's public broadcasting company, were driving along the silk road and around the Khyber Pass 25 years ago, which happened to be just after the invasion by USSR of Afghanistan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road
It was around North Pakistan that was presented in the History Channel on the day.
Yes, the crews of NHK were driving peacefully and friendly around North Pakistan and along the Indus River into Ghandahra, an area around Peshawar, Pakistan.
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There are several reasons that I want to report on this issue.
First, the area once called Ghandahra is the place where Mr. Osama bin Laden is probably now hiding.
Secondly, NHK crews then interviewed one of local leaders in the area whose clan was almost independent of the Pakistani Government as is often reported today. It is said today that Mr. Osama bin Laden is probably now hiding among such local and independent clans. But, through the NHK's interview film taken in a compound of the tribal leader living there with many relatives, which was like an island in the wilderness protected by 23 feet high walls stretching several hundred yards forming mazes at some parts, we can see what it is like for Mr. Osama bin Laden to hide and live among such an independent and armed indigenous tribe.
Thirdly, Buddhist art once flourished in Ghandahra. Especially in the reign of King Kanishka (in the 2nd century) before which Buddhists in India had not had a habit of worshipping of Buddha's inmages, they created many Buddha statutes. Those works of Buddhist art were imported into Japan via China in the following centuries, which decisively influenced the Japanese culture. But, most noteworthy is a fact that the mode of art in Ghandahra was Greek. Since invasion by Alexander the Great in the fourth century B.C., there remained strong Greek influences in the region as east as the Indus River until Islamic invasion there 1000 years later after the era of Alexander the Great. Put simply, Alexander the Great eventually influenced Japan through evolution of Buddhist art of the Greek mode.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhara
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanishka
And, as the fourth, Japan has so far contributed US$ 1.12 billions to peace and rehabilitation of Afghanistan since 2001. Now, Japan plans to stop its five-year-long free provision of fuels to ships of the US Navy and other allied forces on the Indian Ocean. It is the U.S. and the U.K. that Japan minds most but not Taliban and AlQaeda, since those who usually do not respect Japan's decision on international affairs are mainly the U.S. and the U.K. who are always reluctant to promote respect to Japan among their own people.
http://www-mofa.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko////oda/shiryo/hakusyo/06_hakusho/ODA2006/html/honbun/hp202020402.htm
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As I once reported, when Taliban and AlQaeda blew off the big statutes of Buddha in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, in early spring of 2001, some Japanese got alerted. If Afghans lost respect their ancestors and glorious traditions of the past on the grounds of difference in religions, they could do anything horrible even in the name of Islam.
Actually, Mr. Osama bin Laden under protection of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan ordered attacks on New York and Washington D.C. in early autumn, 2001.
Then later, Mr. Osama bin Laden fled to an independent tribal region in North Pakistan.
And, the U.S. cannot arrest Mr. Osama bin Laden even six years after the 9/11 terror.
(CIA had better check the "Silk Road" televised 25 years ago in Japan.)
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From a historical point of view, Alexander the Great had set foundation for the romance between Cleopatra and Caesar whose descendants destroyed ancient Jerusalem.
But, Alexander the Great had also set foundation for the Gandhara Buddhist art with Greek flavor that later became part of a core of the Japanese Civilization, since Japanese deepened its love to Buddhism through appreciation of the Buddhist art imorted from Ghandahra through China and Korea.
http://www.tnm.go.jp/en/servlet/Con?pageId=A01&processId=02&event_id=4467
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As Americans did not respect Japanese opinions on Taliban and AlQaeda in the spring of 2001, they could not prevent the 9/11 terror.
If Americans continue not to respect Japanese opinions on Taliban and AlQaeda, they will not be free from the fear of terror, since Japanese culture is so deeply concerned with history in Gandhara around the Indus River where Mr. Osama bin Laden is hiding.
(It has not been reported whether the visiting German Prime Minister in Tokyo and the Prime Minister of Japan have discussed their entry as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.)
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Now you know why a Japanese reporter can significantly argue the sequence of historical inevitability from Alexander the Great, Caesar, Cleopatra, Jesus Christ, and the fall of Jerusalem as well as subsequent global religious states to date.
It is because there is a parallel sequence of historical inevitability from Alexander the Great, Greek-flavored Buddhist art under the reign of King Kanishka, Chinese Buddhism, Japan's adoption of Buddhism, and samurais' adoption of the Buddhism philosophy that had been alive until the end of WWII in Japan.
Japan has more potential in this regard than CIA who seems to rely too much on money, conspiracy, immorality, and violence in their arrogantly carrying out a mission that has never made the world better and the U.S. honorable.
You had better read EEE Reporter.
(If you want to access the EEE Reporter blog, in the Google web search site, just type "EEE Reporter" into a keyword field. It would show an easy link to EEE Reporter.
Poor Americans, Asians, Muslims, and Japanese are expected to get access in addition to those who respect Jesus Christ and have fear in God.
Of course, you can be born, stay in a hotel, or die in Paris to be honorably a reader of this blog.)
"...'I am Gabriel,' the Angel answered..."
(an incident before the birth of Jesus Christ)