(Finance Ministry of Japan)Now, a Q&A session between ministers of the Japanese Government, led by Prime Minister Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, and Opposition lawmakers is being broadcast live on TV from the National Diet (House of Councilors) in Tokyo to all over Japan.
U.S. military bases in Japan can be always a point at issue, if a regime change occurs.
For example, the German Government bears the stationing costs of U.S. troops in Germany which reach US$860 million per yearas of 2003 or so.
The South Korean Government bears the stationing costs of U.S. troops in South Korea which reach US$850 million per year as of 2003 or so.
The Japanese Government bears the stationing costs of U.S. troops in Japan which reach US$4.62 billion per year as of 2003 or so.
And there are total 135 locations of American military bases, training facilities, and maneuvering grounds in Japan, which the American Army, Navy, Air Forces, and Marines can use so freely.
The total area of these installations is larger than that of all the Tokyo 23 Wards (metropolitan part of Tokyo Prefecture) combined.
(http://www.t-ichida.gr.jp/mado/data/2004/mado_20041021-02.html)
As China and Russia are now friendly nations to America, the U.S. Government must review the need for keeping so many bases in Japan.
SECTION I: The Second Japanese in Jerusalem
It is Genichiro Fukuchi (1841 - 1906) that visited Jerusalem as the second among the Japanese in 1873.
(http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%A6%8F%E5%9C%B0%E6%BA%90%E4%B8%80%E9%83%8E)
He was chosen as a member of the Iwakura Mission, "a Japanese diplomatic journey around the world, initiated in 1871 by the oligarchs of the Meiji era."
It is because samurai Fukuchi had been already dispatched to Europe in 1861 and 1865 by the Tokugawa samurai government before the Meiji Restoration or the Civil War for Modernization of Japan and the fall of the Tokugawa samurai regime in 1868
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwakura_Mission
When the mission returned from Europe to Japan, he left the leader Tomomi Iwakura and others to visit Jerusalem alone.
After coming back to Japan, Fukuchi took an initiative in various fields in politics and culture. His influence on the Japanese society in the process of full modernization is comparable with the most respected and appraised cultural figure of the era Yukichi Fukuzawa, also an ex-samurai having served the Tokugawas.
Though how Fukuchi was influenced by his own visit to Jerusalem is not clear, his largest contribution to the Japanese society might be his contribution to promotion of Kabuki, traditional drama performed by male actors.
The famous Kabuki theater in Tokyo was originally built through Fukuchi's initiative and efforts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki-za
(I do not personally like kabuki at all, though...)
SECTION II: Other Notable Japanese Visit to Jerusalem
In 1906, notable Japanese author Roka Tokutomi (1868 - 1927) visited Jerusalem since he had become a Christian and corresponded with Leo Tolstoy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenjir%C5%8D_Tokutomi
(To be continued...)
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It is said that almost one million Japanese people have been already infected by or recovered from the swine influenza.
However, none of Japanese ministers and lawmakers in the budgetary committee room in the Diet wore a mask, as observed on a live TV broadcast this morning.
In Japan, they say beautiful women die young, or at least suffer bad luck.
Of course, some of them might be exceptionally die-hard against their fates nowadays...
Luk 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
Luk 11:6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
Luk 11:7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
Luk 11:8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Luk 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.