Ume (Japanese Apricot - White -)

(Has a miracle happened around you?

In Tokyo, tonight (Saturday's night), Gold Medal and Silver Medal were won by two Japanese girls, respectively, fairly well skating in the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships Competition: http://www.worlds2007.jp/index.htm

This is the fourth time that a Japanese girl got the gold medal in Ladies Single Skating since 1989 in this winter sports event.)


"And even among stars there are different kinds of beauty..."

This Winter Passing By (Slope in Japan)

"HE WILL RULE FROM SEA TO SEA"

70% of Iraqis Like Japan

70% of Iraqis Like Japan

According to Mr. Yukio Okamoto, a prominent former Japanese diplomat, a US research company conducted a special survey in Iraq in late 2003 on how much foreign countries are liked by Iraqi citizens.
The result is as follows:

The least liked are the U.S. and the U.K.

Less liked are countries such as Germany and France.

Iraqis who feel friendly toward the UN account for 50% of all.

But, astonishingly, those who like Japan account for more than 70% of all the Iraqi respondents.

As this result was so shocking for parties concerned, those figures were not made public.
* * *

Before the Persian Gulf War in 1991, thousands of Japanese were in Iraq, making business and building facilities.

The largest power plant in southern Iraq was built by Japanese companies.

Even today, when they saw an East Asian, Iraqi people first expect him to be Japanese, though in other Middle East countries nowadays people regard an East Asian first as Chinese and then Korean.
* * *

In general terms, Arab people are pro-Japan. But, exact reasons are still unknown to Japanese.

The most reasonable reason would be that there are good natured Japanese more than those of other nationalities.

Another reason would be appreciation of Japanese products with higher quality.

And, a hidden reason might be that Japanese once fought bravely and often successfully Europeans and Americans until the atomic bomb attacks by the U.S. military.
* * *

Mr. Yukio Okamoto, who has visited Iraq several times on official business, wrote that he had felt a kind of awe in other Arabs toward Iraqis before the Iran-Iraq War.

Other Arabs had regarded Iraqi people 20 years ago. Though subsequent three wars heavily afflicted Iraqis, they seem to still posses a higher inherent potential. The US Government must have realized it, but failed in leveraging it.
* * *

There are many reasons that you should not belittle Iraq and Iraqis.

Those who can fairly appreciate Japan and Japanese are really something, though there are other various ways for you to become something.

Iraqis are such people. Their 5000-year history has really proved worthwhile.

(Incidentally, I like Iraq, for it is the Abraham's home country.
I also like the U.S. for a very personal reason. Every morning, I confirm this feeling.

But, if you can tell the truth in a questionnaire, would you really answer that you like Japan?)



"IN THREE DAYS I WILL REBUILD IT AGAIN"

"FUJI" Means an Opulent Warrior (with no equal)

"The Son, Who Has Been Made Perfect"

Wars to Secure Overseas Integrity of the Dollar

Wars to Secure Overseas Integrity of the Dollar


I really want to discuss this issue based on friendship with American people and Muslims, especially for future generations.
* * *

"What Americans have done in these 30 years is simply printing more and more bank notes in order to sustain its economy.

They have had foreign countries substantially make up their deficit, while printing more and more bank notes for payments to those foreign countries.

Though the U.S. has 2.5 trillion dollar foreign credits, the difference between its income and expenditures in its financial account balance has been reduced. In 2005, its black figure was just one billion dollars, which is remarkably small.

If foreign countries judge that the U.S. cannot pay interest of its foreign debts, which are huge, credibility of the dollar will be lost. Printing more and more bank notes may not work any more."

Mr. Akio Akagi, a prominent professor of the University of the Air in Japan, wrote so in his book with the theme of "oil and dollars."
* * *

The key is overseas integrity of the dollar.

(If nobody in the world trusts in the dollar, the U.S. cannot simply print dollar bills and pay its debts with the bills. The U.S. must first get euros or yen. Then the economic power of the US will be significantly decreased. But, the dollar supremacy makes the world economy very vulnerable due to too much reliance on the US.)

The core of this integrity is deeply linked with oil. As oil producing countries accept the US currency (dollars) in payment for oil, integrity of the dollar is being secured.

In this respect, the key figure is Saudi Arabia.

If Saudi Arabia has more confidence in "yen" or "euro," and thus refuses to accept "dollars" from oil-purchasing countries, including the U.S. and Japan, other oil producing countries will come into line with Saudi Arabia where Islamic holy places are located.

If Saudi Arabia undergoes political upheaval, it may change its policy adopted so far to sustain the critical link between oil and dollars.

That is why the U.S. Government cannot withdraw its troops from Iraq as long as the Saudi Arabia Government wants them to stay there for protection of the kingdom from terrorists.
* * *

This is one theory. But, American citizens should think about it as the 2008 Presidential Election is getting closer.

The fact that the 9/11 Terror was planned, ordered, and carried out mainly by Saudi-Arabia-born terrorists cannot be accidental.

The future of Saudi Arabia economy itself is not necessarily rosy.
(In 40 years, the world oil reserves are expected to be depleted...)
* * *

There must be surely some way to correct the potentially-risky supremacy of the dollar in the world economy, which might someday trigger crash of the value of the dollar and hard-landing of the world monetary system.

How much Americans can accept decline in their standard of living may be another big issue. If they cannot, they have to continue to rely on military power to maintain the present system based on the oil-dollars linkage.
* * *

When you are called by the God, you may be allowed to keep your conventional living standard you have enjoyed so far, if you honestly obey the God. But, probably, not more than that.

(When you die, how much money do you want to leave in this world? Jesus Christ left no dollars. Probably, I will do the same. My family should understand it.)


"THOSE WHO PILE UP RICHES FOR THEMSELVES BUT NOT RICH IN GOD'S SIGHT"

Loved Ones

"IT IS KINDNESS THAT I WANT"

Miracle of Reviving a Girl

Miracle of Reviving a Girl


There is an interesting description about one of miracles Jesus Christ performed in the Holy Report or the Gospel.

People said that a girl was dead; but Jesus Christ, with intention to educate people to understand life and death, said that she was just "sleeping."

Accordingly, Jesus Christ told the girl to wake up; and then the dead girl came back to life and woke up.
* * *

When a man has died, his mind, as the work of his brain cells and synapses, stops to work. But, the story does not end there.

Something, called a soul, linked to different space and time still exists in our universe, keeping connection with his physical entity or body (or even without it in special cases). This state can be regarded as "sleeping."

When the soul is completely disconnected from a human body and this material world, it gets into a new state of "awakening" in the different space and time which might be called "another world" or "Heaven" in the best case.

In this state, you cannot come back to this world; and thus your body, if still remained, will return to the ground.

In the above incident recorded in the Gospel, the girl was still in the state of "sleeping," though her soul was about to leave for another world.

Therefore, Jesus Christ exercised His power to call her soul fully back to her physical entity, which triggered life process again in her body as a miracle.

If her soul had completely left her physical entity, Jesus Christ would not have said that she was "sleeping" and would not have called her soul back to this universe.
* * *

There are many books that deal with life and death using complicated words and logics. But, this simple Jesus Christ's miracle surpasses any other arguments on life and death.

You cannot easily imitate Jesus Christ's miracle.

You need great love to a person whose soul you are going to communicate with directly.

What's more, you must have special power that can work on a human body to revive a person with energy that existed before this universe was born.
* * *

Jesus Christ gave this kind of power (transcendent philosophically) to His disciples, so that He told them to go out and heal people.

But now, if a religious establishment cannot perform this healing work, it is no longer an organization of disciples of Jesus Christ.

(This conclusion might sound too harsh, but we are talking about a representative of Jesus Christ or God, but not a representative of a king or a queen of a remote country.)
* * *

Seeing a girl reviving in this world again must be really splendor.

(Mankind has not seen such an incident for too long due to somebody's default.)

However, mankind was created to meet God in time. We have to leave unnecessary things, such as a physical body, money, and painful memory, in this world in order to see God in other space and time, the process of which we call death.

(Now, what else miracle do you need? A disease cured, blind eyes opened, a mystery resolved, and a way for love discovered? Yes, a prophecy of a miracle is coming true.)


"THROUH YOUR FAITH IN HIM YOU MAY HAVE LIFE"

Cheery!

"GROWS UP AND BUILDS UP THROUGH LOVE"

Princess Diana (and Charles Chaplin)

Princess Diana (and Charles Chaplin)


As it has come to be a decade since the death of Princess Diana, I would like to present a poem which I hope will be associated with the late Princess, whenever sound citizens cast their minds back to the unhappy and symbolic lady in England.
(You may be allowed to personally attach a melody and rhythm to sing like a singer-songwriter.)
* * *

A Red, Red Rose
.......................................Robert Burns
My love is like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June:

My love is like the melody
That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in love am I:
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
And I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only love.
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my love,
Thou' it were ten thousand mile.
* * *

I do not know if Mr. Larry King of CNN has ever interviewed Princess Diana and Mother Teresa, though these two 20th-century heroines are foreigners for Americans.

Yet, somebody should have listened to these ladies before they left this world so as to (give some protection and) record their valuable experiences and lessons for American people who are now destined to pass through the era of the War on Terror.

(The fact that Mr. Osama Bin Laden invited a US interviewer into his hide-out in Afghanistan in 1998, after the tragedy of Princess Diana, is also suggestive.

And, Mohamed Atta, an Egyptian like the close and romantic associate of Princess Diana, might have been influenced by the 1997 fatal accident on Princess Diana, resulting in his participation in the 9/11 attacks.)
* * *

Based on my preference, Princess Diana should have kept company with such a man as Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin.

A devil sometimes appears, pretending a clown. On the other hand, there are many world leaders who are at pains just trying hard not to look like a clown.

So then, somebody that honestly plays his role as an occasional clown might look so honest and wonderful to some girls in the upper classes.

Of course, Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin is very different from a clown.

It may be the time, however, for world prominent figures to seriously consider employing the spirit of "Chaplin" as precaution not to become a real clown and no to resort to a wicked design.


"WITH ALL BOLDNESS AND FREEDOM"

Another ShinKanSen (bonus)

Rice Paddies in Winter near Tokyo

"THERE YOU WILL SEE HIM, JUST AS HE TOLD YOU"

Strong Will for Separation

Strong Will for Separation


In 1997, a symbolic year for me, too, two prominent ladies died: Mother Teresa in September and Princess Diana in August.

Why God wanted the two distinctive souls almost at one time is yet to be analyzed.
* * *

If Princess Diana had not died, she would have, reportedly, remarried a son of the parents, an Egyptian billionaire and a sister of Mr. Adnan Khashoggi, a Saudi billionaire arms merchant.

From Princess Diana's tragedy, however, we can get some inference:
- Difference in religion cannot be an obstacle to super-rich people for their association.
(Princess Diana was even remotely linked with prominent Rothschild families through her mother's sister.)

- If Princess Diana had intended to remarry a richer person than a nephew of Mr. Adnan Khashoggi, a Saudi billionaire arms merchant, she could have been provided with more excellent guards and thus could have avoided the fatal car accident.

If Princess Diana had intended to remarry, for example, a king of an oil rich Islamic country, she should have been living today, since such a king could have provided more sufficient protection and security. Then, British Royal Family, the Rothschilds, and an Islamic Kingdom would have been all linked by living and lovely Princess Diana, which might have had a peaceful influence on some Arab terrorists at least psychologically.

Princess Diana, however, died on August 31, 1997. And, from the next year, attacks on the U.S. by Arab terrorists got really intensified, leading to the decisive 9/11 attacks in 2001.
* * *

One clear characteristic of Islam is its strong will to separate itself from Christianity.

For 1400 years since the foundation of Islam, Allah or God has not changed this principle. This is the key to understanding the relation among, or the significance of existence of, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Princess Diana's tragedy, at least, reminded me of this relation between Christianity and Islam.
* * *

If Mother Teresa was a kind of female decent tygers for her great achievement, Princess Diana is a kind of red, red roses for her affections.

But, since 1997, we might be requested to consider the states and conditions around the two deceased Christian ladies, imperfection of which might be a remote cause for the present War on Terror.

(There might be a kind of female wolves with glamour around or near you. But, it is better than a leopard that cannot change its spots.)



"LIKE A LEOPARD, I WILL LIE IN WAIT"

Inside Train

"WE ARE TREATED AS LIARS; YET WE SPEAK TRUTH"

To Pass through Tokyo City Center

(This morning, Sunday here, I woke up at 8:30 a.m. and saw the British ITV channel (through NHK) presenting battles in Afghanistan. British Royal Marines well equipped were fighting poor Taliban fighters in tatters for securing a village after village, just leaving a desolated one after a battle. We have to discuss Islam and Christianity, anyway.)


"I WILL NOT PUNISH YOU IN ANGER"