TOKYO IMPERIAL HOTEL
Yesterday in Beijing, an African British runner defeated an African American runner in the women’s 400 meter final race.
Since the Roman Empire’s Army left Great Britain in the 5th century, I suppose a true heroine has at last appeared among residents in the island.
The residents of Great Britain must start to think to have a new royal house of an African origin, since dynasties have changed so often in England and the U.S. has now an African American Presidential candidate.
But, remember unlike the case of Great Britain where pre-Celtic and pre-Roman inhabitants vanished very long time ago, the Japanese people still today comprise the earliest inhabitants of the Japanese Islands, since the last Ice Age did not crucially cover Japan and no ancient Chinese troops ever occupied the Japanese Islands like the Romans occupied most of Great Britain.
The Japanese consist of a variety of sub-races just like the British today consist of many African, Arab, South Asian, and Chinese citizens.
SECTION I: TOKYO IMPERIAL HOTEL
The other day, a small fire happened in a lumber room of Imperial Hotel located near the Imperial Palace of Tokyo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Hotel,_Tokyo
As I was reading a book a few weeks ago on Frank Lloyd Wright who designed the second-generation Tokyo Imperial Hotel which existed between 1923 and 1968, the fire at Tokyo Imperial Hotel looked somehow suggestive.
The small fire itself did not harm any guests and damage facilities gravely at all; but it is unthinkable that the number one hotel in Japan failed in their safety management, forcing some 500 guests to leave their rooms onto the street.
But, what looks more suggestive to me is that I have found a blog written by a senior Japanese businessman on his experiences around the Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel decades ago.
SECTION II: Guiding Americans to Imperial Hotel
A Japanese businessman who seems to be living in Vancouver wrote on the news about the small fire at Tokyo Imperial Hotel.
( http://onomar.jugem.jp/ )
The accident reminded him of a part-time job he had been engaged in during his student days in 1960’s in Tokyo: a guide for American tourists.
He and his senior student led rich American tourists from the Haneda Airport of Tokyo to Imperial Hotel built on design of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most prestigious architects in the U.S. history.
According to his blog, the rich American tourists in those days used only three hotels in Tokyo: Imperial Hotel, Hotel New Otani, or Hotel Okura.
The blog author wrote that among the three super hotels he had been the most impressed by the Imperial Hotel, not only because in Imperial Hotel he could smell some attractive fragrance he later found to be of cigars but also because Imperial Hotel gave him a lift so gorgeously.
More interestingly, one day he could not finish his part-time job at Imperial Hotel till late at night, so that he had to stay there. His senior friend found a room for him, the number of which was something like 357, namely the 57th room on the third floor.
But, he could not find the room 357, though he could easily spot the room 356 and 358.
After some desperate moments on a corridor, he finally found small steps toward an upper corner of the floor. Having taken the stairs, he faced the door numbered 357.
Even today he wants to use Room 357 and go up the stairs dedicated to the room.
Yet, as Imperial Hotel was wholly rebuilt in late 1960's, he could not fulfill his dream any more, since Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel of Tokyo was gone forever.
SECTION III: Frank Lloyd Wright
Every non-nonsense architect in the U.S. and the world knows the name Frank Lloyd Wright, admitting his great contribution to the building engineering.
However it is the Japanese tradition in the building engineering that made Frank Lloyd Wright the super architect.
Frank Lloyd Wright learnt much about the Japanese-style building. He was also well known for his collection of traditional Japanese pictures. He also made a fortune through transaction of traditional Japanese wood block prints mostly produced centuries before.
Yet, Frank Lloyd Wright did not reveal the secret to his great success in his autobiography, though many researchers pointed at clear evidences indicating the critical influence of the Japanese culture on his design and works of architecture.
( http://www.isis.ne.jp/mnn/senya/senya0978.html )
Nonetheless, as the design of Room 357 told, Frank Lloyd Wright had a genius in design, since he enjoyed making layout like a small boy absorbed in assembling small wooden blocks with whatever primitive concepts on functions and ornament.
SECTION IV: Democracy and Imperialism
The Japanese businessman living in Vancouver also wrote in his blog about democracy and imperialism of the United Sates.
The U.S. has two faces: democracy to its people and imperialism to the world.
He considered this issue under the title "Circus and Bread" in 2004 when the Presidential Election was being held.
(http://onomar.jugem.jp/?eid=172 )
The U.S. Government needs to adopt imperialistic policies toward the world, so that it can make its people live in the affluent and democratic society.
Even Frank Lloyd Wright mostly exploited and partly abused the Japanese precious tradition in art and engineering to be the number one architect in the U.S. and enjoy an honorable and wealthy life.
Indeed, first-rate and super rich Americans are very imperialistic but ordinary citizens and poor consumers in the American democratic society must be good natured as the very experienced Japanese blogger reported.
Yet, African British women might be more good natured.
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That is all for today.
Some French soldiers were attacked and killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan recently.
EEE Reporter is always referred to by first-rate American and Chinese agents for their own personal profits, in my feeling.
Anyway, I may go to the seaside or a mountain area to observe the summer of 2008 at its summit this weekend, though not to Beijing.
Or I may drop in Imperial Hotel to confirm another Room 537 still being offered.
(A song for today:
http://www.fukuchan.ac/music/j-sengo1/furusatonohanashi.html )
Act 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Act 8:21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Act 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
Act 8:23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Act 8:24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the LORD for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
Act 8:25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
Act 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.