The East Tokyo railway map, excluding subways
An old amusement district around a famous, big temple called Senso-Ji
(Photos taken by EEE Reporter)
400 Years Ago and 1492
If you like, please refer to a picture of snow taken by a homeless man in Tokyo.
http://yukuri.exblog.jp/12882909/
It really exhibits a touch of Japanese traditional pictures.
CHAPTER I: Portuguese & Spanish in Japan 400 Years Ago
In the late 16th century, many ships sailed to India, Indochina, and East Asia from Portugal and Spain.
Some of them reached Japan. Accordingly, Portuguese and Spanish merchants and missionary priests were depicted by Japanese painters. Such a picture was often painted on a folding screen called "Byoubu." A folding screen with a picture of Portuguese and Spanish merchants and missionary priests on is called "Nanban Byoubu" as the following example (though it is said to have been created in the early 17th century by painter Kano Naizen).
(Click to enlarge.)
http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/culture/culture/institution/museum/meihin/046.html
However, as Muslims had occupied and lived on the Iberian Peninsula between 711 and 1492, those Portuguese and Spanish merchants portrayed by Japanese painters look somewhat Arabian or Islamic.
It tells that unlike Anglo-Saxons Portuguese and Spanish merchants respected Muslims so that they wore clothes which looked more Arabian than European.
Most importantly, it was not power of Christianity but military forces of Europeans that drove out Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula finally in 1492.
Anyway, the first Europeans Japanese people encountered 400 years ago looked like Arabians or Muslims.
CHAPTER II: 1492 for Christianity and Islam
Of course, without the year of 1492, there could be no Christians in America and even in Europe today.
Then, we must know that "the God and Allah" has really created Islam as the sole religion for peoples living in the west of the Indus.
But, 1492 came to exist. And, the potential glory of Islam as the sole religion for peoples living in the west of the Indus has not been realized.
Yet, it should be noted that these 2000 years could be roughly divided as follows:
AD 1 to 500: Emergence of Christianity and Establishment of the Vatican
500 to 1000: Emergence and Establishment of Islam
1000 to 1500: Conflicts between Christians and Muslims
1500 to 2000: Emergence and Establishment of American Dream
So, the year 1492 symbolizes the start of the last era of these 2000 years since the birth of Christ Jesus.
Ask anybody in Tunisia, he will answer, "Yes, I want to go, live, and realize my American Dream!"
Ask anybody in Egypt, he will answer, "Yes, I want to go, live, and realize my American Dream!"
Ask anybody in Bahrain, he will answer, "Yes, I want to go, live, and realize my American Dream!"
Ask anybody in Libya, he will answer, "Yes, I want to go, live, and realize my American Dream!"
The year of 2001 might be the start of growth of American Dream with Islamic elements.
So, it is no wonder that Mr. Barack Obama, a son of a Muslim, was elected as American President in 2008.
*** *** *** ***
A Japanese man engaged in activities to help Iraqi children flew to Bahrain from Dubai on board a jet plane with only a few passengers on Feb. 18 at local time.
http://www.nowiraq.com/blog/
He just wants to eyewitness the Middle East revolution going on in Bahrain.
On the other hand, a Japanese construction engineer presents pictures of Bahrain as he is stationed there.
http://www.geocities.jp/kishikishi0619/bahrainpicture.htm
The U.S. accounts for 13% in exports from Bahrain and Japan 0.9%.
The U.S. accounts for 6.8% in imports of Bahrain and Japan 10.6%.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, there are officially 230 Japanese in Bahrain.
So, democracy should prevail in Bahrain, if not so pro-European or pro-American.
In addition, tonight a Japanese cable TV channel presented a discussion program in which an Egyptian woman, still young and fluent in Japanese, took part while looking so energized by the successful Egyptian uprising.
According to her, the popular insurgency in her mother country achieved the outstanding victory, since no rains fell during the period of clashes. If it had rained, people would have left the Tahrir square to be occupied by military troops.
Anyway, as Mt. Fuji I saw on January 1 was mostly covered by clouds, unlike the preceding few years, I think there would be a kind of upheavals in some places on the earth this year.
Something new must be really upspringing in the Islamic world, surrounding Jerusalem, now.
(Early this morning a miracle happened around me. Or, should I say that I survived last night while more than 120 people died already in this winter due to heavy snow in Japan.)
Luk 2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
Luk 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Luk 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.