(Hibiya around the Imperial Palace Plaza: The Imperial Theater, Former General MacArthur's Office, Palace Hotel, the Imperial Hotel.....a kind of infrastructures of power, wealth, and prestige in Japan)The Year 2007
(L'Année 2007)
Noteworthy General Incidents This Year:
(1) The First Significant Female or Minority Candidate for US Presidency Gaining Momentum
(2) Prevention of Fatal Aggravation of Situations around Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran
(3) Awareness Strengthened of the Need to Regulate Citizens' Possession of Guns
(4) Awareness Strengthened of the Need to Regulate Sub-prime Loan-based Housing
(5) Awareness Strengthened of the Need to Preserve Crude Oil and Develop New Fuels
(6) Awareness Strengthened of the Need to Monitor Goods being Contaminated
(7) Awareness Strengthened of the Need to Monitor Chinese Global Actions to Get Oil
(8) Awareness Strengthened of the Need to Stabilize Pakistan with Nuclear Weapons
(9) Awareness Strengthened of the Need to Prepare for Further Global Climate Change
(10) Awareness Strengthened of the Need to Avoid the Praising of Celebrities
Noteworthy Specific Incidents This Year:
(1) The Dow Jones Index has kept the level around 13,000 dollars.
(2) Europe and the U.S. have successfully avoided terror attacks this year, too.
(3) Nuclear crises around Iran and North Korean have been eased.
(4) Russian President Vladimir Putin has successfully leveraged the energy boom.
(5) Persian Gulf oil producing countries are taking advantage of a boom.
(6) No large-scale armed conflicts have erupted in Palestine.
(7) Sudan in a state of an oil-driven civil war has attracted the world attention.
(8) Chinese economy is still growing, however, with severe environmental problems.
(9) A sign of dollar undervaluation has surfaced globally.
(10) France and South Korea have elected new pro-US presidents, respectively.
* * *
In Japan:
(1) Very-pro-US ruling parties are losing comfortable majority in the national assembly.
(2) However, new Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, regarded as being comparatively soft to China, was inaugurated.
(3) The law to allow the supply of fuels to US and Pakistan naval vessels in the Indian Ocean was expired.
(4) Unfaithful performance of duties by bureaucrats in the Central Government was exposed and uncovered in a large scale.
(5) Gun-related crimes and accidents have taken attention of citizens.
(6) The more and more focus is on non permanent employees.
(7) Japan's total trade with China is expected to surpass that with the U.S. this year.
(8) Japan has successfully launched the first full-scale exploration vehicle to the moon since the US Apollo Project.
(9) Enforcement has been strengthened on fake or spurious goods, especially foods.
(10) Financial conditions in many local governments and municipal corporations have been aggravated, though national economic climate is still regarded in the upper trend in the long term.
* * *
As for me:
(a) Faith in God and Jesus Christ has been further strengthened with great or humane, or otherwise warning, miracles here and there.
(b) I have a feeling that something has arrived at a turning point or a crossroad so as to advance into a new direction with victories, no matter how humble they are, of the Army of Heaven here and there.
(The next Monday, December 24, is a national holiday in Japan, since the Emperor's Birth Day corresponds to Sunday this year.
I will be busy throughout this season despite worldly calendar heralding the year-end and New Year holidays coming soon in Japan.
Nonetheless, I hope that you will be able to do "neat work" for neighbors and God, since 2008 is so near.
[Even if it is the Christmas Eve, I can recall a certain song related to a night train:
http://ongakukan.music.coocan.jp/musicstudio/5-naha/mhanayome.html ])
"...Jesus said to him, "Follow me." Levi got up and followed him..."
(Jesus sagte zu ihm: 'Geh mit mir!' Und Levi stand auf und folgte ihm.)