My opinion of this week(472):
Short trip to Hakone
Since I am already retired, I don't need to go on trip at this Golden
Week holiday in such a busy and crowded time. But My wife and I enjoyed
the trip to stay one night at Hakone on 2nd and 3rd of May.
When I talked about the trip to my friend at tennis court a day before
the trip, he wondered why we planned to make a trip at such busy season
when lodging fees are so heigh and traffics are so crowded.
I explained that I had been quite busy untill April for my work at
community association in the past one year. I was also quite busy with
my voluntary works to teach PC both at elementary school and junior high
school in the past one year. That is why I could not go on trip freely
during weekdays except summer and winter vacation period at school.
My wife warned me not to continue such volunteer work any more at school
in this year, but I was obliged to accept the work again in this year at
two schools. I do not regret it basically at all for I believe we will
have much more chance from now on after I finish such vorantary work.
It was rainny on when we started for the trip on May 2. We took a limmited
express train from Shinjyuku to Hakone Yumoto. We continued to ride Hokone
Mountain Railway, Cable Car, Rope Way to Togendai, lakeside of Ashinoko
Lake and stayed a night at Kagetuen Hotel. We were very unlucky because
the view on the way was so bad.
After check in the hotel, we were quite satisfied with good hot spring and
meals at the hotel, though.
The weather was so nice and beautiful next day on May 3 from eary in the
morning. We enjoyed a walk aroud hotel before breakfast.
Cruising at Ashinoko Lake by pirate ships@was so enjoyable. We took the
same route on the way back to Hakone Yumoto and view was perfect at this time.
We enjoyed very much the walk in Goura Park.
I personally have come to the entrance area of Hakone several times in the
past. But this was really the first time for both my wife and myself to visit
such place like Goura, Tougendai, and Ashinoko Lake.
We hope we can come back to visit another good spots of Hakone in near future.
2006/5/6
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(473):
Mourn the death of Kenichi Okabe
Kenichi Okabe, one of my close friend for many years, died the day before
the yesterday. An alumnus of the college faxed me that he died of lung
cancer at the hospital nearby to his place.
He was hospitalized about three months ago for the cancer and it was only
a month ago when we exchanged several e-mails to talk about many things
about how we enjoyed many things together at the college we graduated from.
We also came from the same high school but we had no contact during high school
days because we never belonged to the same home room.
Many of our close relationship have continued since we entered the same
college. We belonged to the same seminar class of the Department of
Economy and to the same clubs such as table tennis and English conversation.
We shared very good time in learning and enjoyed club activities very much.
Our good relations have continued until quite recently since we graduated
from the college. We worked for different firms and lived in different cities
all through past years but we have enjoyed many good reunions from time to time.
I started mailing list almost 15 years ago and he has been one of the most
good participants for the ML for many years. We enjoyed exchanging many
information about what are going on in our society and many other matters
about our common learning interest and hobbies such as PC, English, music,
sports and so on.
I wish I could have met him again before his eternal farewell. I would like to
express my heartfelt condolences for the death of Kenichi Okabe.
2006/5/13
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(474):
Ozawa debate with Koizumi on education
In the first direct debate in the Diet between Ozawa and Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi since Ozawa became the leader of Democratic Party of
Japan, the experienced fighter concentrated on just one issue-education.
While never raising his voice, Ozawa showed the confidence and stability
of a veteran as he steadily hammered away at the prime minister. Ozawa
picked an issue that Koizumi has not shown much interest in until now.
It was a strategy calculated to reveal that the prime minister has no
clear vision for educating Japanese children.
Ozawa asked Koizumi where he thought responsibility lay for education
under the present system. Ozawa explained that he was trying to show
the confusion of the present society derives from the distorted nature
of the education system that has been in place since right after the end
of World War II. Ozawa said the fundamental distortion in the system had
to be addressed if the education system is to be improved.
Koizumi first said he thought, fundamentally, the responsibility lay
with parents. When pressed by Ozawa, Koizumi said the education ministry
was responsible for school administration.
"The proposal presented by us on revising the Fundamental Law of Education
clearly states that the central government has responsibility for education
administration," Ozawa said.
Revision proposal to be made by DPJ, state more specifically the necessity
of educating patriotic spirit and religious temperament to children. The
revision proposal made by coalition is not necessarily quite clear on those
points for Komeito Party has some concern to mention to use the word
patriotism. They also will never touch the word concerned with the religion.
Komeito is a religious party and so they never agree to mention a religious
temperament is to be educated at school. It is, of course, very clear that the
law never states to educate some specific religion at school. But when it comes
to educating moral and ethics, it is closely related with some religious
temperament.
From this point, it is possible that the proposal made by DPJ will draw more
supporters from the members of Liberal Democratic Party.
The revision of Fundamental Education Law involves such very delicate
issues and the law is surely very important like the constitution of all
educational laws concerned. For it will surely become the base to recreate
this country in next 100 years.
I believe the debate made by Ozawa and Koizumi at this time is very
important. Some more very fundamental debate will continue during this diet
session and even more sessions before the Fundamental Law of Education will
be revised in better way.
20006/5/20
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(475):
The 8th Ranzan PC Workshop
The 8th PC Workshop was held at Ranzan National Women's Education Center
on May 24, and 25. The workshop was quite successful participated by
30 people in total.
Members of MPC (Murayama PC club) can learn many things on PC at
two regular sessions every months. But members cannot learn much about
internet at the regular session for there are no internet connection for the
room. The facilities of this center is splendid for every participants can
use PC which is connected to internet on line basis. So we try to learn
something new that we cannot learn at regular club sessions.
The Multimedia Room is in the center hall which is located in a large
forest garden. The environment is so good that we can refresh yourself
very much with clean air.
We try to learn a certain definite theme at every Ranzan Workshop in
addition to many other PC software and hardware. I asked Akira
Watanabe to talk about the book titled "Web Evolution" written by
Mochio Umeda which becomes a best seller in these days. The book tries
to describe sociological analysis about recent development of internet
society.
The theme seems to be very difficult to understand not only for
people who are not using PC and internet at all but also even for
the people who are actually using PC and internet in many ways.
However, the latter must have better chance to understand the contents
of the book because they have some virtual interface with internet in
their daily life.
Nevertheless, the contents of the book involves a lot of abstract logics
and too advanced phases that are happening in recent internet society.
Akira Watanabe kindly explained them very much in detail but many of
them seemed to beyond their understanding including myself. That's fine
as far as I am concerned. We may be able to understand much more about
them while we continue to involve more with Web society from now on.
Akira Watanabe asked me to add some more explanation about the meaning
of the theme from my point of view. I suggested to take more micro
approach to the theme for better understanding contrary to such macro
sociological approach made by the writer.
Let's come back to a user of PC and internet. Then, ask to ourselves.
What is PC and internet for you and for your life? How do you use them
for your business, learning and hobbies? How are your life effected by
them?
The answer to each question must be some concrete answer that the writer
try to explain about various phase of evolution of net society. Akira
Watanabe and I agreed to continue to exchange various discussion on this
matter at our Mailing List and Blogs.
2006/5/27
Tadashi HAYASE
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