A Door to the Future
Mikiko Takase When you have the opportunity to open a door and do something new, what do you do? Do you enter right away? Do you think carefully about it first? Do you think carefully and decide not to do it? If I hadn’t decided to jump in right away
The Vain Jackdaw
A famous Aesop’s Fable announces “KING OF BIRDS CONTEST.” A crow wants to win. His black feathers make him feel ugly until he finds a beautiful peacock feather and attaches it. He is so beautiful that he attaches many colorful feathers. He enters the contest and WINS becoming King. The
Peter and Paul Compromise
Mikiko Takase January 30,2021 The “Compromise” prompt led me to the traditional saying “Rob Peter to Pay Paul”. Who was Peter and who was Paul? It may be related to religion of taxes paid to St. Paul’s church in London that should have gone to St. Peter’s in Rome. Or
Economy Versus Health
The Struggle Of 2020 Mikiko Takase December 29. 2020 Portions of the Japan economy faltered in 2020 because of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The government launched a domestic travel campaign called “Go To” to stimulate the economy. The government would pay 35% of the price of inns so travelers could visit
Isolation In White
Mikiko Takase. November .29.2020 People stay home. Covid-19 brings anxiety to our world An elderly lady has a house in our neighborhood. She fell down the stairs and is forced to live by the window. She told me it is quiet and calm, but lonely. She reads books, makes crafts
Wabi and Sabi
October 13.2020 Mikiko Takase Wabi and Sabi are words to describe a Japanese aesthetic sensibility that shows “beauty within simplicity and imperfection”. Wabi-Sabi influences all Japanese culture such as paintings, buildings, gardens and tea ceremony. For example, we may deliberately remove some constituents from a completed work to increase the
Media Magical World
September 28 2020 Mikiko Takase My father bought a TV for my sick and elderly grandmother in 1960. She exclaimed, “There is some small person inside that box.” Now, years later, I am part of a generation that has lived with media for a long time, but still struggles to
Media
August 1, 2020 Mikiko Takase Media, or Medium, is an object or device used for recording, transmitting or storing information. Examples of Media are CDs, letters and telephones used to convey information such as music, writings and voice. How do you think media has changed from the past? I think
Fireflies Glow In Japan Summer Night
Jul 30 2020 Mikiko Takase Japan’s hot and humid summer nights offer a rare opportunity to view twinkling fireflies at the edge of small streams. These waters meander through the dark green leaves of the woodlands. “Here’s a light, here’s a light,” a visitor exclaims, “what a beautiful sight.” Fireflies
“Rice Ball” The emergency food of Japan
A long list of terrible disasters is written into the history of Japan. There have always been earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons, floods, fires and war. Now a terrible epidemic has arrived that envelops the entire world population. When I think about disasters, the first thing that comes to mind is “white
Stay at Home
The Government says, “Stay at Home.” Many stores, restaurants, publish facilities, schools, libraries, my English classes and even the swimming pool I usually go to are all closed. Staying home is the best cooperation during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Only grocery stores and pharmacies remain open and they caution people to
Real Cherry in Blossom Viewing
When I was a young child after World War ll people had very little money. Neighbors invited each other to gather at the mountainside as a modest pleasure of spring. They sat beneath cherry trees full of blossoms, enjoyed box lunches, had drinks and sang all day and far into the night. Everyone