Diary-T 201 Motegi's Word Choice - Part 1
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April 15, 2015

Diary-T 201 Motegi's Word Choice - Part 1


Diary-T


Diary-T 201: Words Chosen by Mr. Mogi, Part One



Words and Artwork byKoichi Kamoshida



Digression (3) This, too, was when I read a biography of Einstein in the fifth grade of elementary school, and I decided I would become a scientist in the future. I became convinced that creating a revolutionary theory like relativity was the most profound and coolest thing in the world.

Digression (8) That is why I believe that people see the world from the height of the books they have piled up. The more books one reads, the higher one can stand and the farther one can see. As a catalyst for change, nothing has the systematic nature and persistence of books.

Emi (9) Fireflies in the rainforest synchronize their lights, don't they? Flashing together is likely one of their instincts as living beings. Tonight's total lunar eclipse is also an opportunity for shared experience. We all need, somewhere, the feeling of connection, even if we are usually separate.

Nibi (8) The decline of elites. This is probably the crux of Japan's problems. Once they pass the entrance exam for a club (even if it's not a particularly prestigious club by global standards), they seem to think they can get by in government or large corporations. That's naive. Unless Japanese universities, which have become like warm baths, undergo a radical overhaul, Japan will not be reborn.

Nibi (9) What's regrettable is that elementary and junior high school students have few options other than aiming for Japanese universities that have become Galapagosized. In reality, adults must create a big bang in Japanese education. It's too much of a waste to let the brilliance of youth be clouded by entrance exams for mediocre clubs.

Koho (8) Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan has been faced with a mountain of challenges that allow no room for error. Amidst this, the fact that the divided Diet cannot swiftly deliberate legislation and instead serves as a venue for pursuing partisan interests that do not benefit the nation can be called an act of forgetting the duty of a parliamentarian, which is to 'create laws.' We urge the Liberal Democratic Party to deeply reflect.

Koho (4) There is a tendency to call members of parliament 'sensei' and to view election victories as 'advancement.' But how much do they truly understand that the Diet's essence is as a legislative body? It is highly questionable whether current parliamentarians, even while being called 'sensei,' are diligently studying and contemplating laws to what extent.

Teme (4) It's often said that television is finished, and the reason is likely that it tends to focus only on what is already mainstream. Of course, it's not impossible for the unknown to become a star through a rise from the bottom, but by stocking only mainstream content, both creators and receivers become less likely to experience such ascensions.

Teme (1) People say Japanese people are docile, but that's probably been the case since the Tokugawa period. Before that, it was a time of gekokujo (lower overcoming the higher). The culture from that era still demonstrates the highest quality today. For example, the 'Landscape Screen with Sun, Moon, and Mountains' by an unknown artist. The dynamics of culture are, in fact, supported by gekokujo.

I used to love purin à la mode when I was a child.
December 7th, from TweetList Pro

Obo (7) To love and cherish someone simply because they exist. Children in 'Tokyo' have forgotten this principle of happiness. Under the 'market principle' that quantifies and trades work, studies, and human abilities, they cannot adequately express warm feelings towards their aging parents.

Nono (8) Those who have a wide range of empathy will grow. Those who can expand their senses greatly and then return them to their own bodies. If they swing out and don't come back to themselves, they won't grow. Those who know nothing won't grow. Of course, some explode like supernovae when they realize this.

Nono (7) Those who easily borrow help from others won't grow. On the other hand, those who honestly acknowledge and embrace the good qualities of others will grow. In general, those with strong desires for self-display do not grow surprisingly well. They are too focused on themselves to see others.

Nono (4) Those who blame others won't grow. Those who smugly say, 'Isn't that how the world is?' generally won't grow. Smugness generally doesn't lead to growth. Those who, regardless of societal norms, maintain a cool demeanor, thinking 'Oh, is that so?', sometimes grow surprisingly well.

Nono (3) On the other hand, those who don't grow tend to drone on about themselves. Those who become defensive when a problem is pointed out also don't grow. Those who, when objectively presented with a flaw, pause to consider will grow. Those who immediately try to cover up by saying, 'That's because...'

Nono (1) What is talent? I think personality is a significant factor. There are those who grow and those who don't. It's an attitude. Those who don't grow are unaware that their own attitude is preventing their growth. What a waste. It is a tragedy in life.

Kimi (8) The attitude of overcoming oneself and moving beyond the present. The fact that this naturally connects with sports is a cultural attitude that Japanese people possess particularly strongly, and because it is as natural as air, we often forget its value.

Shiha (9) Rebellion against systems was once the privilege of the young, but beyond the ineffectiveness of movements to overthrow capitalism or oppose the internet, systems where rebellion holds no meaning are beginning to cover the world. No one has yet named what this is. Is it an inevitable consequence of globalization?

Shiha (8) The leaders of nuclear-armed states theoretically possess the power to initiate full-scale nuclear war with the push of a button, yet a comedy unfolds between the continuation of such a situation and the fact that they are fragile human beings, no different from ordinary citizens, dangling precariously within the system. Even the presidents of great powers are nothing more than leaves tossed about by the wind.

Shiha (7) Francis Fukuyama wrote 'The End of History,' but the world is indeed reaching an 'end.' Sovereign states are merely components of the 'system.' The notion that the presidents of America or Russia are 'powerful figures' even seems like a farce. They too are but weak lambs clinging to the system.

Shiha (6) When WikiLeaks emerged, it felt as though the very existence of the state was being shaken. When China rejected the authority of the Nobel Peace Prize, we saw the emergence of actors who operate by disregarding value systems. The Arab Spring heralded the arrival of a new era. However, all these movements, too, are eventually reabsorbed by the 'system.'

Japan's Eight Policies (8) Traditional values like 'mono no aware' (the pathos of things) and coexistence with nature in satoyama are Japanese cultures we can be proud of to the world. Further exploring and developing Japanese traditions, such as the richness of expression found in manga and anime, and the 'omakase' food culture. Becoming a nation of qualia rooted in sensibility. Open yourselves and offer gifts to the world.

Yato (7) To publish a book 'properly,' it must be published by a 'proper' publisher, otherwise it's considered a tacky self-publication. This kind of preconception is what electronic publishing systems are freeing authors from. It's truly a big bang. But how many preconceptions still bind us?

Yato (8) The 'preconception' that one cannot pursue scholarship without attending university is also like that, and is likely meaningless in modern times. In the first place, Japanese universities are monopolies on 'degrees' under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. They merely have the 'seal of approval' for establishment standards from the government, and have no real connection to the ability to navigate modern civilization.

Shiha (5) However, is the 'system' that surrounds us, which includes capitalism and 'google,' not something more comprehensive, more robust, and yet unnamed? It transcends individual nations and manifests a single, indivisible entity on this Earth.



← Diary-T 201–206





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