Viewed from Imperial Plaza
At the Center of Capital Tokyo
(Photos taken by EEE Reporter in December 2010.)Leadership Tested and Challenged
Mencius, namely a Chinese philosopher living around 300 B.C., said:
"There was a starving beggar who refused to accept a portion of foods a rich man threw onto him so arrogantly. Accordingly, the proud beggar died on the road, truly sorry to say.
There was a rich man who insinuated himself through dirty tricks and shameless lies into dominant figures in a higher place so as to take part of the wealth and power community of a nation. Accordingly, the successful men lost respect for justice and virtue.
Everybody has a mind to secure honor and an ideal, if it means to risk his own life. A sacred one is the one who always puts a higher priority on honor and an ideal to eventually die for this cause.
But, what is going on in this era now that only such a beggar risks his life to secure his honor?"
What I want to say is that if one ancient Chinese beggar had such a pride, what pride does Christ Jesus have?
CHAPTER I: AMERICAN PRESIDENTs
Cool Americans like Ronald Reagan.
Cold Americans dislike Mr. George W. Bush.
And, crazy Americans must probably opt for presidency by Mr. Bill Clinton as preferable.
The potential and tendency that realized presidency of Mr. Barack Obama seems to be reflected in some poll results:
Gallup poll
A Gallup poll about presidential greatness, taken February 9–11, 2007, asked 1006 adults in the US, "Who do you regard as the greatest United States president?"[16]
1. Abraham Lincoln (18%)
2. Ronald Reagan (16%)
3. John F. Kennedy (14%)
4. Bill Clinton (13%)
5. Franklin Roosevelt (9%)
6. Other/None/No opinion (8%)
7. George Washington (7%)
8. Harry Truman (3%)
9. George W. Bush (2%)
10. Theodore Roosevelt (2%)
11. Dwight Eisenhower (2%)
12. Thomas Jefferson (2%)
13. Jimmy Carter (2%)
14. Gerald Ford (1%)
15. George H. W. Bush (1%)
16. Richard Nixon (0%)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States
As for me, observing America over the Pacific Ocean, the historical rumor about greatness of President Lincoln can be very well accepted.
But, the impact of the personality of JFK and Richard Nixon is overwhelming.
(There has been even a rumor over the Internet that Richard Nixon knew something about truth of the JFK Assassination.)
And, it is Harry Truman that authorized the use of atomic (nuclear) bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Japanese-American War in early 1940's, though it is Franklin Roosevelt that decided to open war against the Empire of Japan.
So, the new American President after 2013 must be more Christian, Judaistic, or otherwise a man with a strong sense of justice domestically and internationally.
CHAPTER II: JAPANESE PRIME MINISTERs
After WWII, Japan has the following prime ministers in order as an individual assuming the office, from Shigeru Yoshida in 1946 and Naoto Kan in 2010, with an approval rate each given by subscribers of The Nikkei Shimbun newspaper, a major economy-oriented paper in Japan:
Order as
Individual....Name.....Approval Rate (%)...
32....Yoshida, Shigeru....93....1946 -
33.... Katayama, Tetsu.... 22.1
34.... Ashida, Hitoshi.... 21.7
35.... Hatoyama, Ichiro.... 47.9...1954 -
36.... Ishibashi, Tanzan.... 47
37.... Kishi, Nobusuke.... 74.7
38.... Ikeda, Hayato.... 87.8...1960 -
39.... Sato, Eisaku.... 77.1
40.... Tanaka, Kakuei.... 72.4...1972 -
41.... Miki, Takeo.... 41.1
42.... Fukuda, Takeo 44.6
43.... Ohira, Masayoshi.... 59.8...1980 -
44.... Suzuki, Zenko.... 17.5
45.... Nakasone, Yasuhiro.... 82.6
46.... Takeshita, Noboru.... 39.6
47.... Uno, Sosuke.... 2.6
48.... Kaifu, Toshiki.... 13.3
49.... Miyazawa, Kiichi.... 34.6...1991 -
50.... Hosokawa, Morihiro.... 26.5
51.... Hata, Tsutomu.... 6.2
52.... Murayama, Tomiichi.... 16.3
53.... Hashimoto, Ryutaro.... 56.2
54.... Obuchi, Keizo.... 53.1
55.... Mori, Yoshiro.... 8.2
56.... Koizumi, Jyunichirio.... 79.3...2001 -
57.... Abe, Shinzo.... 25.9
58.... Fukuda, Yasuo.... 13.2
59.... Aso, Taro.... 25.1
60.... Hatoyama, Yukio.... 7.4
61.... Kan, Naoto.... 10.6.... 2010 -
http://www.nikkei.com/news/research/vote/result/q=9694E0E5E3E0E0E2E3E2EBE3E2E0;p=9694E0E5E3E0E0E2E3E2EBE3E2E2;o=F2F2F2F2F2F2F2F2F2F2F2F2F2F2
However, in the order of approval rating:
#..... Name....Approval Rate (%)....
1.... Yoshida, Shigeru.... 93
2.... Ikeda, Hayato.... 87.8
3.... Nakasone, Yasuhiro.... 82.6
4.... Koizumi, Jyunichirio.... 79.3
5.... Sato, Eisaku.... 77.1
6.... Kishi, Nobusuke.... 74.7
7.... Tanaka, Kakuei.... 72.4
8.... Ohira, Masayoshi.... 59.8
9.... Hashimoto, Ryutaro.... 56.2
10.... Obuchi, Keizo.... 53.1
11.... Hatoyama, Ichiro.... 47.9
12.... Ishibashi, Tanzan.... 47
13.... Fukuda, Takeo.... 44.6
14.... Miki, Takeo.... 41.1
15.... Takeshita, Noboru.... 39.6
16.... Miyazawa, Kiichi.... 34.6
17.... Hosokawa, Morihiro.... 26.5
18.... Abe, Shinzo.... 25.9
19.... Aso, Taro.... 25.1
20.... Katayama, Tetsu.... 22.1
21.... Ashida, Hitoshi.... 21.7
22.... Suzuki, Zenko.... 17.5
23.... Murayama, Tomiichi.... 16.3
24.... Kaifu, Toshiki.... 13.3
25.... Fukuda, Yasuo.... 13.2
26.... Kan, Naoto.... 10.6
27.... Mori, Yoshiro.... 8.2
28.... Hatoyama, Yukio.... 7.4
29.... Hata, Tsutomu.... 6.2
30.... Uno, Sosuke.... 2.6
Incumbent Prime Minister Mr. Naoto Kan should humbly study the above two tables, since he is the only prime minister who graduated from Tokyo Institute of Technology.
For the total 61 prime ministers of Japan since 1885, their affiliated universities are as follows:
#...Graduated School...Number of P.M.s
1...University of Tokyo...15
2...Waseda University...6
3...Keio University...2
3...Meiji University...2
3...Kyoto University...2
6...Meiji Gakuin University...1
6...Sophia University...1
6...Seijo University...1
6...Hitotsubashi University...1
6...Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology...1
6...Seikei University...1
6...Gakushuin University...1
6...Tokyo Institute of Technology...1
Incidentally, Mr. Koizumi graduated from Keio University; Mr. Y. Hatoyama graduated from the University of Tokyo.
In addition, the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University are the two top national universities in Japan; Keio University and Waseda University are the two top private universities in Japan, in terms of reputation among the Japanese people.
Gakushuin University is well known as the university where Imperial Family members are expected to learn. Mr. Taro Aso graduated from this university.
After WWII, two of the prime ministers died actually while being in office: Masayoshi Ohira (1910-1980) and Keizo Obuchi (1937-2000).
But, there is only one prime minister who left the office while being highly supported by members of the ruling party and the general public: Mr. Junichiro Koizumi.
The next prime minister of Japan should exceed at least these three politicians in terms of his passion in playing a role of Japan's prime minister.
CHAPTER III: Waka Poem
Haiku is nice, but the spirit of the Japanese noble-class culture is in the waka poem, the tanka, or the 31-syllable Japanese poem;
Fujiwara-no-Teika (1162 – 1241) wrote as above shown:
"Haru-no-Yono Yume-no-Ukihashi Todae-shite, Mine-ni-Wakaruru Yokogumo-no-Sora"
"A spring-night dream, like a story of Ukifune, suddenly terminates while a ridge separates a horizontally flowing cloud in the sky so spotted."
Probably, the noble man Teika must have suddenly realized that he lost love toward a certain woman looking like the heroine in a famous story, called "Yume-no-Ukihashi" of the old imperial court in Kyoto.
Otherwise, the poem is regarded as expressing Teika's regret at the era of the imperial regime passing away to be replaced by the era of samurai.
Traditionally, the coming of a new year means coming of the early spring in Japan.
*** *** *** ***
Mencius, namely a Chinese philosopher living around 300 B.C., said:
"Even a sage or a scholar does not know something so common in the world.
It is because he has to know any key details about a matter so urgent and pressing, taking all his time.
Even an ancient sacred king could not show mercy and care to everybody in his kingdom.
It is because he has to concentrate on those having pressing needs and wanting urgent help, taking all his time.
That is why you should not suspect an honest sage or a scared king of his easiness or neglect."
What I want to point to is that Christ Jesus did not show his knowledge on how to win a war against the Roman Empire.
By the way, the next Monday January 10 is a public holiday in Japan. So, I will have a chance to go around some important place such as an old shrine around Tokyo or a viewing platform toward Mt. Fuji, probably through the Tokyo Station...
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAwi4lfnavs
One of my favorite songs, as you like it probably...
A young man is talking with a poor and very sad man who had lost his young daughter and then his wife who had already gone mad...in the bright semi-tropical island of Okinawa.
"Hai-sai Oji-san" means roughly "Hey, mister!")
Mar 1:7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
Mar 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.