GNH (Gross National Happiness)

King of Bhutan visited Japan with queen as a state guest last week. Some news and episodes for his visit were reported. He respects Japan and Japanese people in his speech at diet and public dinner. The speeches are especially for victims of this earthquake and nuclear power plants.

He visited the devastated area, Fukushima. He met junior high school students there and cheered them with gently words. He was calm and kind person, not haughty at all. And his wife is beautiful and charming.

I didn’t know much about Kingdom of Bhutan. I had known that It is very small country like Japan. The look of Bhutanese is alike Japanese. So we might be feel kinship with Bhutanese. I checked this country and it is pro-Japanese nation. The climate is like Japanese one, too. Two are Buddhism countries.

And there is one of reasons why Bhutanese like Japan. A Japanese man taught agriculture to them a few decades ago as international development. He contributed to improvement of agriculture in Bhutan.

I knew about GNH by his visit. GNH is “gross national happiness”. Percentage of GNH in Bhutan is the highest in the world. What is happiness for us? We materially and economically might be happy. However, are we mentally happy?

King’s smile and sincere attitude gave us good impression for Bhutan.

Ambiguity 曖昧

Radioactive contamination of rice in Fukushima was announced in recent news. In not only Fukushima and neighboring prefectures but almost other prefecture radioactive materials are measured. Eight month has passed since nuclear power plant’s accident happened. We spend ordinary life. However, we are afraid of invisible fear. We don’t know when radioactive materials are influenced in our body.

Other countries people might not be able to understand some ambiguous expression or attitude of Japanese. It is a one of Japanese culture and ambiguity is sometimes a good way for our communication. A candid expression sometimes stirs up discord in our society. Japanese fortunately can suppose the real meaning of ambiguous attitude or expression. It is difficult to explain why we can, but we imagine real meanings by the tone, the look, or atmosphere. In case of friend, we often use these ambiguous expressions on purpose to avoid quarrel between us.

However, the ambiguous expression or attitude of government or TEPCO will bring distrust for us and in international society. We suspect that TEPCO conceals the truth for us to avoid confusion. Everyone is interested in this problem. This isn’t a problem for Japan. It is serious issue for everyone who lives on earth. It isn’t too much to say that this fact influences to our future.

Japan must unveil all of truth and data for radioactive materials.

Anzen Chitai 安全地帯

Anzen Chitai is one of my favorite Japanese band. When I was a junior high school student, Anzen Chitai's songs were very popular. Debut single, "Wine red no Kokoro" ワインレッドの心 was No.1 hit song in 1983. I love it now.   

Vocal of this band, Koji Tamaki 玉置浩二 is one of very attractive singer for me. I like his voice.
I went to his solo concert several years ago, I was touched so much. I was moved to tears by his performance. The song is Koi no Yokan. 恋の予感. It is second single of Anzen Chitai. He has released a lot of songs as solo singer until now.  Denen 田園 is one of songs that I cheer me up.

Anzen Chitai in Japanese means safety island. They recently released some new albums and single. So they appeared in TV show as an exploitation. It is a Japanese dance group, Exile's TV program. Exile is very popular in Japan now. Anzen chitai and exile sung "Ti amo", exile's hit song in the show. It was so excellent performance. I found two videos of this program in you tube. And I attached my favorite song, Koi no Yokan.   

Ti amo , Exile and Anzenchitai

Jirettai じれったい　安全地帯

Koi no Yokan 恋の予感 

Hama Rikyu 浜離宮

I found an oasis in Tokyo. There are some landmarks or tourist attractions in Tokyo for persons who live in Tokyo, It is one of them for me. Hama Rikyu is a famous park. It is located at Shiodome 汐留 that is office town. and metropolitan area. However, Slow time passes and atmosphere is so calm in this park.
We can see modern and high office buildings from the park, but it is so quite inside.

There is a Japanese tea house in it .We can drink a cup of powdered green tea and Japanese sweets、wagashi 和菓子 seeing a pond or trees. I got on Tokyo water bus after walking in it and spending peaceful time. We can go to some downtown, shitamachi 下町, Asakusa 浅草or Ryogoku 両国. Asakusa is very famous town in Tokyo. A lot of foreigners visit this town. They enjoy old and traditional places. Water bus was interesting. I can see different scene of Tokyo on the bus. It was very beautiful.
I recommend to get on the water bus in sunny day.  

I could feel relaxing time.  

Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimasite ツレがうつになりまして

"Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimasite" ツレがうつになりまして is title of Japanese film. This means “my husband has got a depression” Depression is a sickness that office workers especially tend to get and is increasing now in Japan.

Depression うつ病 (Utsubyo) is one of social problems. There are some reasons why office workers get sick. Off course, the personality is a reason of this sickness. Perfectionist or methodical person tends to be sick. However, I think Japanese people always work too much every day.
Also human relations in a company, crammed train (満員電車) in the morning and overtime work is stressful in Japan.

Being hardworking, accuracy for work or earnest originally regards as good thing in Japanese society. It is usual to be serious. However, the social environment is sometimes very uneasy for us. Responsibility and obligation for their work give pressure to us.
And crammed train every morning is also so stressful. It is not easy to have holiday and long vacation in Japan.
What do we do if a member of family gets a depression? This film expresses the bond of a couple, daily life and society in Japan. Japanese often say "Ganbatte！ "  (keep up) がんばって！to cheer up someone. However, this is taboo word for a patient. The catchphrase of this film, "Ganbaranaizo" がんばらないぞ "I don't have to do my best. " is a phrase that the patient advises himself.

Masato Sakai and Aoi Miyazaki play a Japanese couple in the film. I like one of my favorite actors, Masato Sakai 堺　雅人 and his performance is excellent.  His film "Golden Slumber " is very interesting film.

Tsure ga utsu ni narimasite wiki 

ツレがうつになりまして official site  

Itadakimasu and Gochisousama いただきます、ごちそうさま

Before and after we eat each meal, almost Japanese say a word. We learn these words at first as compliment or discipline when we are childhood. We say “Itadakimasu” before meal and “Gochisousama” after meal.

Both words express appreciation for being able to eat foods and a person who cooks meals. A verb, "Itadaku" いただく in Japanese means polite way of saying for eat or get something. So Itadakimasu expresses thanks for bless of nature and foods. Gochisosama express thanks for all people who are concerned with foods, especially a person who cooks meal, bot include of producers or farmers.

They are simple words, however, very important to think about appreciation of foods. I think they are good words. When I was a small child, I didn’t know much the meaning of words and why we should say before and after meal. I just said as a custom. However, I really know about the importance of using this word. We can’t live without all of nature. And eating is fundamental to our life. These words remind us of blessing of foods and my present happy situation.

Eating delicious food is my pressure of my life. I always want to say Itadakimasu and Gochisousama appreciating all of nature.

Green and Deep Breath

I will write my trip for Takamatsu City.

After breakfast I went to Ritsurin Garden. This place was Japanese style garden and very beautiful. I have been to some Japanese gardens in Japan. It is one of my favorite garden. Pine tree (Matsu) 松 is typical Japanese tree. A lot of pine trees planted and there are some ponds and bridges. I walked around in the garden watching green and felt relaxed.   

I could drink green tea and Japanese cakes (Wagashi) 和菓子 at tea house, Kikugetsutei.

View from tatami room.    

The view from tatami room was aesthetic. It was very calm and quite. I forgot time passing. I ate green tea and cake.

green tea and wagashi

Wagashi's shape expresses nature, especially flowers for each seasons. This expresses Kikyo 桔梗. Kikyo is one of typical Japanese flowers. I love wagashi and it was very delicious.
Sitting without nothing, only deep breath... I could relaxed.

I ate Sanuki Udon for lunch after visiting this garden. It was so delicious, too.  
Delicious foods and feeling nature is my pleasure of trip ! There are a lot of places in Japan that I never been to. However, I could know again Japanese beautiful culture and scenery at this trip.
I want to visit many places in Japan.