北欧は理想郷じゃなかった People will behave humanely when they become economically well situated. On the other hand, the same people will behave inhumanely when they are economically challenged. I want my country, Japan, to still be a humane country in Year 2076, a half-century from now, even though Japan would decline substantially economically. And the good news…

In 2003, the company Line 6 released a series of modeling guitars called Variax. It was a chameleon guitar that could change its color and tone at will. It can output a Fender Telecaster sound, a Fender Stratraster sound, a Gibson Les Paul Sound, and so forth, just by rotating one of the knobs called…

I finally got the definite answer, thanks to Mr. Kurumada, the Japanese Opera Singer living in Germany. Yes, I can love both cello and electric guitar. In doing so, I will enjoy richer musical lives, Mr. Kurumada is a professional vocalist living in Germany, and although he specializes in classical music, he enjoys listening to…

If you are a Japanese baseball fan, have you wondered why high schoolers collect the sand from Koshien Stadium right after their defeat? For many years, I dismissed the idea as stupid and meaningless. I thought bringing the sand home would not improve your team’s basecall skills. As I get older, I start to see…

Mr. President, again? We knew who he was. I felt doomed in November 2024. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised by this article published by Hiroyuki Fujita recently. Looking at the positive side of his administration. 試練に勝つことが米国の使命！日本人にも求められる覚悟、トランプだけ見ていても米国の真の姿は見えてこない (藤田浩之) America’s mission is to overcome these challenges! The Japanese are also expected to be prepared. Looking only at…

We Need to Talk About How Bad the Live Aid Led Zeppelin Reunion WasI agree with the writer. Phil Collins was arrogant in refusing to participate in the rehearsal. It was very unprofessional. He should have stepped off the stage. No wonder Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have hated him to this day. Phil Collins…

I like the song “Read My Mind” by the Killers. The video for the song was filmed in Tokyo. I always thought the Japanese word “以心伝心” was a myth or misconception. The word was originally a Zen jargon. It meant that after many years of training together, the disciple could see a bit of the…

In London, Aonishiki (安青錦) showed his hand flip against Ura (宇良). The sumo technique was officially called Kaina Hineri (腕捻り).BBC Sport: Check out this incredible move at The Grand Sumo Tournament Ukrainian sensation Aonishiki is on the way to becoming the second Yokozuna with Ukrainian heritage. Then, who was the first? It was one of…

In Japan, Taiikukai (体育会) is a kind of old boys’ network based on the sport you played in your schools. I just hated it. I am glad that I am not part of it. On the contrary, my younger brother, Sanshiro, is a beneficiary of the system. And another of my younger brothers, Jiro, seemed…

I have heard of the Toyota Woven City, but initially, I did not pay attention to its name’s origin. Suddenly, I realized it honors the founder of the Toyota group, Sakichi Toyoda, and his Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd, established in 1926. Sakichi is the great-grandfather of Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation.