Hats Off to an Indomitable Spirit in Grand Sumo

Ukrainian-born sumo wrestler Aonishiki’s victory at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament was more than an impressive sporting achievement. His return from injury, demotion, and disappointment offered a powerful image of resilience in difficult times.

Sometimes, when I go to the supermarket, I see a staff member wearing a blue-and-yellow badge on their chest.

I find myself wondering whether they might have come from Ukraine.

Still, it would not be right to stare at their face or ask about their personal circumstances, so I simply accept my purchases and pay at the register as usual.

As long as that person is living in Japan, they have a job and an everyday life here.

But beyond that everyday life, there may be a homeland where war is still continuing.

More than four years have already passed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Perhaps no one expected it to continue for this long.

Support from the United States and other Western countries has also shifted according to the political situation.

Within Ukraine, the defense minister has changed, among other developments, revealing how difficult it is to hold a country together while continuing to fight a war.

Watching the news from faraway Japan, I cannot truly understand the suffering of those who live there.

Even so, whenever I see that blue-and-yellow badge, I am reminded that the war is not something happening in some distant world. It feels as though it is taking place right in front of us.

Against this background, Aonishiki, a sumo wrestler from Ukraine, won the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

The championship race went all the way to the final day.

In the end, he claimed the title by winning a three-way playoff.

Aonishiki had injured his left ankle and missed the entire previous tournament, causing him to fall from the rank of ozeki to sekiwake.

It must have been extremely painful for him.

Yet he returned to the ring without giving in and fulfilled the conditions required to regain the rank of ozeki.

That alone would have been a remarkable achievement, but he went on to win the championship as well.

Aonishiki is, of course, an individual wrestler competing for himself, and perhaps it is not quite right to superimpose the image of Ukraine onto him.

But when we see someone who left a country still at war, wrestled in the foreign land of Japan, overcame injury and disappointment, and finally reached the top, it is difficult not to see something more in his achievement.

The sight of him gritting his teeth in the ring.

The sight of him trying to regain, through his own strength, the rank he had once lost.

And the sight of him refusing to give up until the very end.

Perhaps this is what an indomitable spirit truly looks like.

There is something about watching a person rise again from adversity that slightly lifts the heart of those who witness it.

For the first time in quite a while, I was able to feel genuinely moved by sport.

Hats off to Aonishiki and his indomitable spirit.

Some victories do more than decide a champion; they remind us of the strength required to stand up again.

・・・

indomitable spirit
A strong determination that cannot easily be defeated or discouraged.
不屈の精神、決してくじけない心

full-scale invasion
A large and extensive military attack involving major forces.
全面侵攻

political situation
The current condition of politics and government in a country or region.
政治情勢

hold a country together
To maintain unity and stability within a nation during a difficult period.
国をまとめ、結束を保つ

three-way playoff
A deciding competition involving three participants who are tied.
三者による優勝決定戦、巴戦

fall from the rank of ozeki to sekiwake
To be demoted from sumo’s second-highest rank to the rank below it.
大関から関脇へ陥落する

without giving in
Without surrendering, losing hope, or stopping one’s effort.
めげずに、屈することなく

overcome adversity
To succeed despite serious difficulties or hardship.
逆境を乗り越える

grit one’s teeth
To endure pain or difficulty with determination.
歯を食いしばる

hats off to someone
An expression of respect or admiration for someone’s achievement.
〜に敬意を表する、あっぱれと言う

#Sumo #Aonishiki #Ukraine #Resilience #pathologist

Asking AI for Advice: Sometimes Helpful, Sometimes Not Quite Right

AI can quickly suggest what appears to be the most efficient solution. But convenience alone does not always make something the right choice for a particular person. My recent hotel stay in Nagoya was a good example.

Today, I am in Nagoya for a medical conference.

Some people may wonder why anyone would willingly travel to scorching-hot Nagoya, but of course, I am not here on vacation. I came because of the conference.

I have been assigned to chair one session, so I spent much of yesterday preparing for it.

The temperature apparently reached 39 degrees Celsius yesterday, and today is expected to be about the same.

I would like to get inside the venue as soon as possible.

When this conference first began, we used to rent a nice hall in central Tokyo. However, support from pharmaceutical companies has gradually declined, and in recent years the organizers have more or less been keeping the meeting going out of their own pockets.

The venue has also moved a little farther away from central Nagoya, but the rental fee is lower, and necessity leaves little room for choice.

The location is not particularly convenient either from Nagoya Station, where the Shinkansen arrives, or from the nearest subway route to the venue. Choosing a hotel is therefore always rather troublesome.

This time, I asked AI to help me select one.

It considered both the subway connection from Nagoya Station and the route to the conference venue, and recommended a hotel near Sakae.

The transportation was certainly convenient.

The neighborhood, however, was rather rough.

I arrived at the nearest station at around seven in the evening. Several women in elaborate evening clothes got off the train with me, and I thought the area felt like a shabby, downmarket version of Ginza.

Once I came above ground and saw the glittering, almost overdecorated neon signs, everything made sense.

My first move was to hurry into the hotel.

I had decided that evening to eat “miso katsu that did not come in a boxed meal.” Miso katsu is a Nagoya specialty consisting of a pork cutlet covered in a thick miso-based sauce.

I had eaten nothing on the Shinkansen except a bag of nuts, so I was hungry.

According to the map, there was a supposedly famous restaurant only a few hundred meters away, so I headed there.

The food was not especially delicious, but neither was it bad. There is no need to say much more about it here.

When I left the restaurant after eight, however, walking through the neighborhood felt like crossing a swamp where crocodiles were waiting with their mouths open.

A middle-aged man walking alone without so much as a bag would probably look obviously like a business traveler to anyone who knew what to look for.

Feeling rather nervous, I avoided making eye contact with anyone and hurried back to the hotel.

I must be getting old.

I found myself missing the days when I could walk innocently through Kabukicho, Tokyo’s famous nightlife district, without worrying very much.

Back at the hotel, I said to the young man at the front desk,

“This is quite a frightening neighborhood, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he replied. “It is quite a lively area.”

That was certainly one way of putting it.

There had been plenty of young men like him standing around on the street. Put a tattoo on his arm, and I probably would not have been able to tell him apart from them at all.

So, in terms of transportation, AI had chosen an almost perfect hotel.

The surrounding environment, however, was not necessarily a good fit for me.

When consulted, AI can instantly present something close to an optimal solution. But as this experience showed, the result can sometimes be less than ideal.

Some people may say that I should have given it more detailed instructions.

Perhaps so.

But finding an appropriate choice within a limited budget is more difficult than it sounds.

And even now, I cannot honestly say that the hotel was a bad choice.

AI may find the most efficient answer, but only a human being can decide whether that answer truly feels right.

・・・

scorching-hot
Extremely hot, often to an uncomfortable or dangerous degree.
焼けつくように暑い、猛暑の

chair a session
To lead and manage a formal conference session or academic discussion.
学会や会議のセッションで座長を務める

out of one’s own pocket
Using one’s own money rather than money provided by an organization or another person.
自腹で、自費で

necessity leaves little room for choice
A situation in which practical circumstances make other options impossible.
背に腹は代えられない、やむを得ず選択する

rough neighborhood
An area considered unsafe, disorderly, or socially unstable.
治安や雰囲気のよくない地域

downmarket
Less fashionable, prestigious, or expensive than another place or product.
場末の、大衆的な、格の低い

make sense
To become understandable or logically clear.
合点がいく、納得できる

business traveler
A person traveling for work rather than for leisure.
出張者

a good fit
Something suitable for a particular person, purpose, or situation.
相性がよい、適している

optimal solution
The best possible solution under a given set of conditions.
最適解

less than ideal
Not completely satisfactory, although not necessarily bad.
理想的とは言えない、いまひとつの

#AI #Nagoya #BusinessTravel #MedicalConference #pathologist

When Anything Goes Too Far

A recent controversy involving employees at a major Japanese convenience-store chain has drawn attention to insider access, product reselling, and the darker side of online marketplaces. The incident also raises an uncomfortable question: would any of us behave differently if an easy profit were within reach?

There was a recent news story about people connected with stores belonging to one of Japan’s largest convenience-store chains. They had apparently set aside rare merchandise before its official release, purchased it for themselves, and then resold it for profit—as though such preferential access were simply one of the privileges of the job.

Seven-Eleven Store Insiders Cause Controversy by Reselling Popular Character Merchandise: Could It Be a Crime?
—Bengo4.com, via dmenu News, NTT Docomo

Did they really resort to such petty dishonesty simply because they regarded it as a perk of the job?

Had they kept the products for their own personal enjoyment, perhaps no one would ever have found out. But once they tried to make money by reselling them, the situation became different from ordinary resale.

Even so, perhaps they did not feel that they were doing anything particularly wrong.

Maybe they thought of it as nothing more than an easy way to earn a little extra spending money.

For Seven-Eleven, the incident damages the reputation of its brand. On the other hand, if the company enforces its rules too strictly, some part-time employees who were attracted by such unofficial privileges might quit.

At a time when Japan is already suffering from a labor shortage, the company may feel that it is being hit from both sides.

This kind of resale business may be one of the harmful consequences of the online age.

Of course, passing secondhand goods on to someone who needs them can contribute to the reuse and circulation of resources.

But that is different from the increasingly conspicuous behavior of people known in Japan as tenbai-ya—resellers who buy limited or popular products solely to sell them at inflated prices.

I have never used an online flea-market platform myself. Still, should something catch my attention in the future, I might well use one.

And when I think about this particular incident, I cannot place myself entirely on the side of righteous criticism.

I have a tendency to follow the crowd. Had I found something I liked, I might also have taken advantage of the opportunity to buy it before the general public.

Had I realized that an item could be resold, I might even have bought something I did not personally want, sold it, and earned a little money.

Perhaps unofficial privileges would have been quietly overlooked if they had been exercised in moderation.

But anything taken too far eventually comes back to the person responsible.

The fact that the conduct was exposed and widely shared on social media suggests that it must have become too blatant to ignore.

The online world made such reselling easier.

It was also the online world that exposed the deception.

Everything has two sides.

Even as times change, the chain of cause and effect continues without end.

The tools may change with the times, but human desire—and the consequences it sets in motion—remain much the same.

 

・・・

set aside
To reserve something for a particular person or purpose.
取り置きする、確保しておく

preferential access
An advantage that allows someone to obtain something before or more easily than others.
優先的な入手機会、特別な立場による便宜

perk of the job
An extra benefit or privilege that comes with a particular job.
役得、仕事に伴う特典

petty dishonesty
A relatively small but mean or unfair act of deception.
小狡い不正、ささいだが卑劣な不正

resale
The act of selling something that has already been purchased.
再販売、転売

inflated price
A price that has been raised excessively above its normal level.
不当に引き上げられた価格、高値

online flea-market platform
A website or app where individuals buy and sell new or used goods.
フリマサイト、個人間売買のオンラインサービス

righteous criticism
Criticism made from the belief that one is morally correct.
自分が道徳的に正しいという立場からの批判

follow the crowd
To behave in the same way as other people rather than making an independent decision.
付和雷同する、周囲に流される

exercise something in moderation
To use or enjoy something without taking it to excess.
度を越さず、ほどほどに行う

blatant
Very obvious and offensive, especially when describing bad behavior.
露骨な、目に余る

cause and effect
The relationship between an action and the result it produces.
因果、原因と結果

 

#Reselling #OnlineMarketplaces #JapaneseSociety #HumanNature #pathologist

It Was “Japan Is Cold Too—Even Colder Than New York” Back Then

An unfinished blog post from January described a freezing morning in Kamakura. Only six months later, Japan is facing dangerous summer heat, and even a short walk now requires serious preparation.

It is hot again from early this morning.

If it is already this hot in Kamakura, which lies close to the sea, I can hardly imagine what it must be like in central Tokyo, where the hospital I work at is located.

My wife gets up at five to take Anne for a walk, and I cannot stop worrying that either of them might suffer from heatstroke.

As I opened my blog, wondering what I should write about today, I came across a post I had started on January 8 this year, titled “Japan Is Cold Too.”

While I was in New York, I was surprised by the cold day after day. But when I compared the temperatures with those in different parts of Japan, they were about the same as in Aomori or Sapporo. So I thought that if New York was simply as cold as northern Japan, then perhaps that was only to be expected.

But this morning, the temperature in Kamakura was 0°C.

Now that is cold.

Perhaps today was unusual, but the minimum temperature in New York was 3°C, which meant it was considerably colder here.

Yesterday, I stayed awake for almost the entire flight, and I had planned to go straight to bed as soon as I got home, but—

That was where the post ended.

I have completely forgotten what I intended to write next.

In any case, this past winter was so cold that it caused serious damage not only to the plants in our garden, but to plants throughout Kamakura.

And yet, this summer’s heat looks likely to become an even greater, disaster-level threat.

The number of people being taken to hospital by ambulance with heatstroke seems to be soaring.

This is not someone else’s problem.

I need to take care not to become one of them.

And so, the other day, I finally bought a sun umbrella.

For years, I had avoided buying one because of my preconceived notion that sun umbrellas were somehow unmanly.

Recently, however, I have seen many men using them, and that finally persuaded me to buy one.

At this time of year, I spend less than an hour a week walking outside during the daytime.

Even so, there is no telling what might happen during that brief period.

I compared small, medium, and large models and chose a fairly large umbrella that can be used in both sunshine and rain.

The problem is that it is rather cumbersome to carry.

Still, the effect while walking beneath it is remarkable, so I cannot really complain.

When I looked at the umbrellas carried by people approaching me, I noticed that most of them were about the same size as mine.

Apparently, necessity leaves little room for vanity.

Hydration, salt replacement, and more.

There are many other things we now have to remember, and I carry various items in addition to the umbrella.

Just as we dress in heavy layers during winter, it seems that summer now requires its own form of heavy equipment.

Today’s high temperature in New York is around 30°C.

Rain is expected over the next few days, with temperatures falling below 30°C.

I find myself envious.

I wish Japan could remain at the level where we could simply say, “It is fairly hot here too.”

Only months ago, I was writing about the cold; now even an ordinary summer day requires preparation for survival.

・・・

I can hardly imagine
Used to say that something is difficult to picture because it seems extreme.
あまりに極端で、想像することさえ難しい。

come across
To find something unexpectedly.
偶然見つける、たまたま目にする。

disaster-level
Severe enough to be compared with a natural disaster.
災害に匹敵するほど深刻な。

soar
To rise rapidly and dramatically.
急激に増加する、うなぎのぼりになる。

preconceived notion
An opinion formed before having enough knowledge or experience.
十分な根拠や経験を得る前から持っている先入観。

unmanly
Not considered traditionally masculine.
伝統的な意味で男らしくない、女々しいと見なされる。

cumbersome
Large, heavy, or inconvenient to carry or use.
かさばって扱いにくい、持ち運びに不便な。

necessity leaves little room for vanity
When something is necessary, appearance or pride becomes less important.
必要に迫られれば、見栄や体裁には構っていられない。

salt replacement
Replacing salt lost through sweating.
発汗によって失われた塩分を補うこと。

heavy equipment
A large amount of protective gear or supplies.
重装備、多くの防護用品や携行品。

#SummerHeat #HeatstrokePrevention #SunUmbrella #LifeInJapan #pathologist #NewYork 

The Season of Extreme Heat Has Finally Arrived

Japan has recorded its first day above 40°C this year. As extreme heat becomes increasingly common, heatstroke, public cooling shelters, outdoor sports, and climate responsibility can no longer be treated as distant concerns.

Yesterday, Gujo City in Gifu Prefecture recorded Japan’s first officially designated “extreme heat day” of the year.

The maximum temperature was 40°C.

This was reportedly the first time anywhere in Japan that the temperature had reached 40°C since the Japan Meteorological Agency introduced the term kokushobi, or “extreme heat day,” for days with temperatures of 40°C or higher.

I seem to remember that one of my blogging friends lived somewhere high in the mountains of Gujo City.

I wonder whether she is all right.

I used to enjoy her beautiful photographs of flowers and her calm, matter-of-fact accounts of everyday life. But when the goo blog service was shut down, I lost track of her.

 

How much heat can the human body actually endure?

In severe heatstroke, the central nervous system, including the brain, may be damaged.

The damage is caused not only by the direct effects of high temperature, but also by a combination of dehydration, circulatory failure, inflammation, and coagulation abnormalities.

Under the microscope, neurons look long and slender, as though they might be able to tolerate a little heat.

Apparently, however, they are not as resilient as they look.

When core body temperature rises above 40°C and neurological symptoms appear, the condition is already life-threatening.

Seen in that light, an air temperature of 40°C is quite literally a threat to life.

 

During the extreme heat of July and August, national and local governments should open gymnasiums, libraries, and other public facilities, and increase the number of official cooling shelters.

There is little point in having such a system unless anyone who needs it can reliably use it when necessary.

 

School sports clubs also need to be reconsidered.

We no longer live in an age when students can play sports in the summer heat as we did more than forty years ago, when I devoted myself to basketball.

The intensity of the heat is different now.

There is no longer the occasional cool breeze we used to feel.

Even when the wind blows, it is hot.

Temperatures above 40°C also seem to be continuing across Europe.

The whole world is becoming chaotic.

It is now almost certain that the main cause of global warming is the greenhouse gases released by human activity.

That does not mean, however, that the problem is simple enough to solve by introducing climate policies at random.

Measures that require action at the national level must, of course, be carried out by national governments.

But there must also be things that each of us can do.

Extreme heat is becoming a serious problem not only for humanity, but for all forms of life.

 

If human beings caused global warming, then human beings must also deal with its consequences.

And every one of us must take part in that process.

We knew that days of extreme heat were coming.

There is little point in making a fuss only after they arrive.

This is no time for an endurance contest in the heat.

Extreme heat is not something to endure with pride, but a danger that demands preparation and action.

・・・

extreme heat day
A day on which the maximum temperature reaches 40°C or higher.
最高気温が40度以上となる日。日本では「酷暑日」と呼ばれる。

lose track of someone
To no longer know where someone is or what has happened to them.
人の所在や近況がわからなくなる、連絡が途絶える。

central nervous system
The brain and spinal cord, which control many functions of the body.
脳と脊髄からなり、身体の多くの機能を調節する中枢神経系。

circulatory failure
A condition in which blood cannot circulate adequately through the body.
血液が全身に十分に循環しない状態。循環不全。

coagulation abnormality
A disorder affecting the normal process of blood clotting.
血液凝固の仕組みに異常が生じた状態。凝固異常。

core body temperature
The temperature of the body’s internal organs rather than the skin.
皮膚表面ではなく、身体内部や臓器の温度。深部体温。

life-threatening
Serious enough to place a person’s life in danger.
生命を脅かすほど危険な。

cooling shelter
A public indoor place where people can escape dangerous heat.
危険な暑さを避けるために利用できる公共の涼しい施設。

matter-of-fact
Calm and straightforward, without showing strong emotion.
感情を強く交えず、淡々とした。

endurance contest
A situation in which people compete to see who can tolerate discomfort or hardship the longest.
不快さや苦しさを誰が最も長く耐えられるかを競うこと。がまん比べ。

#ExtremeHeat #HeatstrokePrevention #ClimateChange #CoolingShelters #pathologist

The Rise of the Sports Industry and the Role of Ordinary People

Spain’s World Cup victory brought the tournament to a dramatic close, but the final revealed more than athletic excellence. It also exposed the growing entanglement of sports, entertainment, enormous wealth, political power, and the emotions of ordinary people.

The FIFA World Cup came to an end with Spain’s victory.

Perhaps because so many celebrities appeared, the halftime break reportedly lasted nearly thirty minutes.

Thanks to that, even after returning from my walk with Anne, I was still able to see the winning goal in extra time.

Throughout the final, I was confronted with various elements that make up America today: sports, entertainment, ticket reselling, and much more.

Sports appeal directly to human emotions, and many people devote their entire lives to them.

No one would die if soccer did not exist. Nor would anyone die if baseball disappeared.

No matter how fast a human being can run, we cannot outrun a horse. Nor can we leap as high as a bird can fly.

That does not mean I consider sports worthless. Still, I cannot help wondering what we should make of their present form, now that they have been taken to such extremes by commercialism.

The sports industry has grown enormous, and vast numbers of people are involved in it.

Quite a few athletes earn immense fortunes from it.

When I was younger, I too frequently bought sports newspapers and enjoyed reading about my favorite players and teams.

Even a single sports newspaper was part of a major industry, and television news programs still retain their regular sports segments today.

Since the days of ancient Rome, ordinary people have been given sports as entertainment and have become passionately absorbed in them.

Perhaps the same tradition has simply continued into the present.

That is precisely why the boundary between sports and politics must remain clear.

And yet, that boundary now seems to be becoming little more than a formality.

Am I the only one who feels that people are being manipulated by all this, ceasing to question it, abandoning independent thought, and gradually being reduced to an unthinking public?

The greater the spectacle becomes, the more carefully we must ask who is creating it—and why we are being encouraged to watch.

・・・

come to an end
To finish or reach its conclusion.
終わる、幕を閉じる

winning goal
The goal that determines which team wins a match.
決勝点、勝利を決めるゴール

extra time
An additional period played when a match is tied after the regular playing time.
延長戦

be confronted with
To be made to face or recognize something difficult or striking.
～を突きつけられる、～に直面する

appeal to human emotions
To strongly affect people’s feelings.
人間の感情に訴える

devote one’s life to something
To give a great deal of time, energy, and commitment to something.
～に人生を捧げる

commercialism
The excessive emphasis on making money, sometimes at the expense of other values.
商業主義、営利を過度に重視する考え方

immense fortune
An extremely large amount of wealth.
莫大な財産、巨額の富

be passionately absorbed in
To be deeply and enthusiastically involved in something.
～に熱狂する、夢中になる

little more than a formality
Something that remains in appearance but has lost much of its real meaning or function.
形だけのもの、形骸化したもの

be manipulated by
To be controlled or influenced, often without fully realizing it.
～に操られる、翻弄される

independent thought
The ability to form one’s own judgments rather than simply accepting what others say.
自立した思考、自分自身で考えること

#SportsIndustry #WorldCup #Commercialism #IndependentThinking #pathologist

Another Day Off — I’ll Take It Easy

A humid early-morning walk with Anne, a World Cup final, and a Dodgers victory made for an unexpectedly eventful start to a public holiday. Still, some days are best spent doing as little as possible.

I woke up early again this morning to take Anne for a walk.

The World Cup final was supposed to be on television from four in the morning.

Then I suddenly wondered how the Dodgers were doing. When I checked online, I saw that Yamamoto was pitching very well, so I hurriedly turned on the television.

Unfortunately, perhaps because it was the first game of a doubleheader hastily arranged after the previous day’s rainout, I was unable to watch him complete his impressive victory.

I am not particularly interested in soccer, so I took Anne out for her walk.

My wife, incidentally, chose soccer.

 

Even without my wife beside me, I still greet people.

As I walked, I said, “Good morning,” even to people who might have thought the greeting unnecessary.

It would probably be more difficult if I were simply a middle-aged man walking alone. With “cute” Anne beside me, however, it is easy.

Many of the other dog owners know Anne, at least, and I would rather not appear unfriendly and be compared unfavorably with my much more sociable wife.

There was no wind, and the morning was oppressively humid.

 

So, when I met other people walking their dogs, I went a little beyond the usual greeting and said,

“It is hot, isn’t it? The humidity is terrible today.”

I assumed that anyone who walks a dog every morning would also notice that the humidity was worse than it had been the day before.

I had intended to include a few uphill and downhill stretches in our walk again this morning.

But Anne began panting heavily and drooling, so I cut the walk a little shorter than usual and returned home.

By the time I got back, the World Cup final had gone into extra time.

Soon after the second half of extra time began, I was able to watch Spain score an extraordinary goal.

There is little point in becoming too anxious about manuscripts, conferences, and everything else.

Today is Marine Day, and since it is a holiday, I have decided to spend the rest of the day taking it easy.

A day off should sometimes be allowed to remain exactly that—a day off.

・・・

doubleheader
Two games played by the same teams on the same day.
同じ日に同じチーム同士が2試合行うこと、ダブルヘッダー

rainout
The cancellation or postponement of an outdoor event because of rain.
雨天中止

incidentally
Used when adding a related but less important piece of information.
ちなみに、ついでに言えば

be compared unfavorably with
To be judged as worse than another person or thing.
〜と比べて見劣りすると判断される

oppressively humid
Uncomfortably and heavily humid.
息苦しいほど蒸し暑い

go beyond the usual greeting
To say more than a simple hello.
普通の挨拶より少し踏み込んで話す

pant heavily
To breathe quickly and deeply, especially because of heat or exercise.
激しく息をする、あえぐ

take it easy
To relax and avoid unnecessary effort or stress.
のんびり過ごす、無理をしない

#MarineDay #DogWalking #SummerInJapan #TakingItEasy #pathologist

When It Comes to Greetings, I’ll Go First

A simple greeting can make an ordinary walk feel warmer and more human. On a summer morning by the sea, I was reminded that sometimes all it takes is for one person to speak first.

Perhaps the rainy season has finally ended. The sky is a brilliant blue, and the breeze feels pleasant.

As long as I stay out of the direct sunlight, the heat is still bearable.

 

I took Anne to the beach, and although it was early in the morning, there were already many people there.

It had been a while since we had gone all the way to the sea. Rows of temporary beach huts had been built, making me feel that summer had truly arrived.

While walking, I greet the people we pass.

In Japan, people do not often exchange greetings with strangers. My wife, however, greets almost everyone, and recently I have begun to do the same.

Hardly anyone greets me first, but when I speak to them, they usually respond.

Perhaps that is enough.

 

I also speak to foreign tourists.

They often seem unexpectedly pleased and reply warmly.

My English is far from fluent, so I speak only in simple phrases. Most of them are not native English speakers either, however, so we somehow manage to understand one another.

I once asked a tourist where he was from. I thought he said Australia, so I said,

“It is winter there now, so the Japanese heat must be difficult for you.”

He corrected me and said that he was from Austria.

“Europe is hot too,” he replied, and we continued talking for a little while.

For a moment, I felt like a grassroots goodwill ambassador.

Still, I wished I had immediately thought to ask,

“Are you from Vienna or Salzburg?”

The conversation might have become a little more enjoyable.

I still have a long way to go when it comes to saying the right thing at the right moment.

Greetings make people feel better, and they can also help make a neighborhood safer.

That is why, rather than simply waiting for others to greet me, I would like to keep taking the initiative myself.

Sometimes a small connection begins with nothing more than one person deciding to say hello first.

 

・・・

bearable
Able to be accepted or endured, even if it is not comfortable.
耐えられる、我慢できる

exchange greetings
To say hello or offer polite words to one another.
挨拶を交わす

far from fluent
Not able to speak a language smoothly or skillfully.
流暢とはほど遠い

grassroots
Starting from ordinary people rather than from governments or large organizations.
草の根の、一般市民による

goodwill ambassador
A person who informally promotes friendship and mutual understanding between people or countries.
親善大使

take the initiative
To act first instead of waiting for someone else to act.
率先して行動する

say the right thing at the right moment
To choose words that are suitable and thoughtful for a particular situation.
その場にふさわしい気の利いたことを言う

Anne Is a Tsundere—but Why?

Anne never rushes to greet me when I come home. She keeps her distance at first, but the moment our eyes meet, her hidden affection comes pouring out. Watching her makes me wonder how much we can truly understand about the feelings of dogs.

Even when I come home, Anne does not immediately run up and jump on me.

She watches me from a little distance.

Sometimes, if I do not notice her, she simply stays where she is.

She acts as though she is not interested in me. But the moment I notice her and our eyes meet, her tail starts wagging wildly. Then, when I sit down beside her, she licks my entire face.

Anne must be a tsundere.

I am sure she is not the kind of dog who wags her tail and immediately becomes friendly with just anyone.

The day before yesterday, she seemed to realize that I had been away from home. Perhaps she had missed me. Her aloof side was stronger than usual, and afterward, so was her affectionate side.

That makes me wonder: Why do dogs wag their tails? Why do they lick people’s faces?

It is strange when you stop to think about it.

We can never truly know what animals are thinking—not only dogs, but any animal.

AI has advanced, and it sometimes seems as though we are becoming able to understand almost anything. Still, what AI can understand may ultimately be limited to the world that humans have recorded and explained.

Even AI cannot truly know what is going on inside Anne’s heart.

No matter how much we think we understand the world, there are still many things we do not know.

And so, I keep watching Anne’s tail and the look in her eyes, imagining what she might be feeling.

 

・・・

rush to greet someone
急いで人を出迎える

keep one’s distance
距離を置く、少し離れている

act as though ...
まるで〜であるかのように振る舞う

wag one’s tail
しっぽを振る

lick someone’s face
人の顔を舐める

tsundere
最初は冷たく振る舞うが、後になると愛情を見せる人やキャラクター

aloof
よそよそしい、そっけない

affectionate
愛情深い、甘えるような

miss someone
人がいなくて寂しく思う

when you stop to think about it
よく考えてみると

ultimately
最終的には、突き詰めれば

be limited to ...
〜に限られている

what is going on inside someone’s heart
人の心の中で何が起きているか

fully understand
完全に理解する

#pathologist
#DogBehavior
#LifeWithDogs
#AnimalEmotions
#AIAndHumanity 

Blogging as a Strange Human Endeavor

Why do we continue writing when we do not know who is reading—or whether our words are useful at all? Reflecting on life, death, and the uncertainty of existence, I find myself wondering what this daily act of blogging really means.

From the moment we are born, each of us is alone, and we remain alone until the day we die.

A living being exists as a single individual, and every living being must eventually die.

No one knows when they will die or what will happen before that time comes.

Something sudden and unexpected can happen to anyone.

We need to be prepared for that possibility to some extent, and when we realize that death is approaching, we make preparations for it.

How to preserve and prolong life is something like a fundamental human concern.

Is continuing to live not the greatest purpose of human existence?

Some people end their own lives, but perhaps that is because they have been driven into a situation in which living can no longer feel like a meaningful purpose.

Were that burden somehow removed, would not many of them choose to live?

Because people naturally believe that what they themselves think is right, it is easy to make general statements about how life should be lived.

I do not yet think very much about my own death.

And yet, this year’s medical checkup might reveal cancer somewhere in my body, or I might lose my footing on a railway platform.

Even without a serious illness or major accident, life can hang by a thread.

Once, while I was dozing on an airplane, a piece of luggage fell from the overhead compartment. It narrowly missed me, and I felt that I had escaped with my life.

There is little point in spending every day thinking only about such possibilities, so in the end, I go on living while thinking about all sorts of other things.

But what exactly is this daily act of thinking?

I do not really understand it myself.

Does it contribute anything to the world?

Sometimes I cannot help thinking that it serves no purpose whatsoever.

Then why do I continue every day?

The question merely goes around in circles.

What lies beyond this strange dialogue between me and unseen readers through my blog?

As I continue wondering about that, I speak each day with you—someone whose face I cannot see—about living and about life itself.

That in itself is a strange human endeavor.

Perhaps blogging is the act of placing one solitary life beside another, without ever knowing exactly who is there.

・・・

individual
一個の個体。一つの独立した存在。

eventually
最終的には、いつかは。

to some extent
ある程度まで。

preserve life
命を守る、生命を維持する。

fundamental concern
根本的な関心事、重要な命題。

be driven into a situation
ある状況へ追い詰められる。

hang by a thread
「糸一本でつながっている」の意から、非常に危うい状態にある。

overhead compartment
飛行機や列車の頭上にある荷物収納棚。

escape with one’s life
命拾いをする。

go around in circles
議論や思考が堂々巡りになる。

unseen reader
姿の見えない読者。

endeavor
努力を伴う営み、試み。ここでは単なる「活動」よりも、継続的で意味を探る行為を表す。

#Blogging #LifeAndDeath #PersonalReflection #JapaneseBlog #Coloken

Morioka Was Extremely Hot, but Memorable in Its Own Way

After giving a lecture in Morioka, I spent the afternoon exploring the city on foot. Morioka is known for its history, architecture, local food, and relaxed atmosphere—but on that particular day, the summer heat nearly overwhelmed everything else.

I had been invited to give a lecture in Morioka.

I hesitated a little because it seemed rather far away, but since it was a rare chance to visit Morioka for the first time, I decided to accept.

The lecture finished before noon, leaving me free for the afternoon.

With several hours before my Shinkansen departed, I decided to walk around the city.

Iwate is the largest of Japan’s prefectures, so I had imagined that Morioka itself would also be very spread out.

In fact, however, most of the notable places were located within a relatively compact area.

Starting from Morioka Station, I crossed the Kitakami River, passed through Morioka Castle Ruins Park, continued as far as Morioka Hachimangu Shrine, and then walked all the way back.

 I had grown tired of the recent hot and humid weather in Kamakura, so I was pleased when Morioka felt slightly cooler as I stepped out of the station the previous evening.

But during the daytime, Morioka was extremely hot.

Unbelievably so.

The humidity may have been slightly lower than in Kamakura, but it was still very hot.

After eating Morioka’s famous reimen cold noodles for lunch, I set off on my walk.

Soon after I started, however, I developed a headache.

Thinking that this might be an early warning sign of heatstroke, I kept drinking water from my bottle as I made my way toward the castle ruins.

The stone walls were remarkably large, suggesting that a magnificent castle must once have stood there.

The water in my bottle was clearly not going to be enough, so I stopped at a convenience store, drank a sports drink, and cooled down for a while.

I asked one of the staff members which places were worth visiting, and then set off again.

 

Morioka became widely known after being featured second, following London, in The New York Times list “52 Places to Go in 2023.”

Apparently, the city was praised for three main reasons.

First, it does not have the crowds of a major metropolis, making it possible to explore slowly on foot.

Second, its natural surroundings, including Morioka Castle Ruins Park, blend beautifully with Western-influenced Japanese architecture from the Meiji and Taisho eras, such as the Bank of Iwate Red Brick Building.

Third, Morioka has a distinctive local culture, including foods such as wanko soba and reimen—the latter being what I ate—as well as long-established coffee shops and bookstores loved by local residents.

I did not pass anyone who was obviously a foreign tourist.

Then again, in such intense heat, few people would feel inclined to walk around outside.

Perhaps I simply did not encounter anyone quite as foolish as I was.

 

The New York Times may indeed have been right in describing Morioka as a city with a distinctive and deeply appealing character.

Unfortunately, it was simply too hot to appreciate those qualities properly.

The next time I visit, I should choose a cooler season and travel by car so that I can also explore some of Iwate Prefecture’s other scenic destinations.

Some cities are best appreciated slowly—and preferably in cooler weather.

・・・ 

lecture
A formal talk given to an audience, often at a university, conference, or professional meeting.
講演、講義。

spread out
Covering a wide geographical area rather than being concentrated in one place.
広範囲に広がっている。

notable
Important, interesting, or worthy of attention.
注目すべき、見る価値のある。

heatstroke
A serious medical condition caused by the body becoming dangerously overheated.
熱中症。

castle ruins
The remains of a castle that no longer exists in its original form.
城跡。

set off
To begin a journey or start going somewhere.
出発する、歩き始める。

Western-influenced Japanese architecture
Japanese architecture incorporating elements of Western design.
西洋建築の影響を受けた日本建築、和洋折衷建築。

long-established
Having existed and operated for many years.
老舗の、長年続いている。

distinctive
Having a special quality that makes something clearly different from others.
独特の、特色のある。

scenic destination
A place known for attractive natural scenery.
景勝地、自然の美しい観光地。

#Morioka #Iwate #JapanTravel #LifeInJapan #pathologist