Is the Japanese language the Devil's Tongue?

"The popular Weekly Times magazine clearly stated that the Japanese language is the devil's tongue in its special Japanese language edition. Yes, many people may agree because the Japanese language embraces lots of irregular and contradictory rules which are often difficult to comprehend. It seems extremely difficult to master Japanese for people whose mother tongue is different.

Japanese is a compilation of native Japanese, Chinese characters and words of foreign origins. Native Japanese consists of 'Hiragana' and 'Katakana' writing, making it further complicated. Speaking of Chinese characters, there are two ways of pronunciation, one is 'on-Yomi', the other 'kun-Yomi' and very often, there are special 'Yomi' as exceptions to the rules.

On top of all that, the delicate relationship between the persons communicating is reflected in the use of their language, the so-called honorific, humble, and polite words. They are the hardest barriers to break through.

And you might conquer those barriers by being in an environment where you constantly hear Japanese being spoken - listening to the radio, TV, and movies. Your confidence may easily be shattered by encountering local dialects and/or newly imported 'Gairaigo', words of foreign origin. Devil's tongue therefore is not such an exaggeration as Times magazine designates in their article.

Despite my criticism of the Japanese language, I'm the one who had been hooked and captured by the devil's tongue as an eternal student of the Japanese language. Needless to say, language is a tool for communication. Although it is difficult to compare it with other languages, Japanese has a wider and deeper threaded structure and has a lot of atmosphere, which I like most. You may call it gracefulness. It goes deeper into the heart and appeals to emotion, rather than logic and the intellect.

You know how babies learn languages. They unconsciously learn language by listening to their parents and conversations around them. They start talking by repeating sounds. We learn a foreign language in school just the opposite way. We start by reading and writing the new language as we learn grammar. Hearing and speaking are not emphasized as much as it should.

Hence, many people can read foreign languages but cannot speak the language. Our clubs' priority, however, is listening and speaking, so I believe we can create many masters of the Japanese language.

Regarding our fellow Taichung Central Toastmasters, particularly the young and earnest ones, let us pledge our all-out efforts today to listen like innocent infants and speak anything that comes to mind spontaneously like splashing water from a spring, sharing together our joy and pride."

I quoted this awesome and fabulous speech bf Dennis Chen, in full, as above from the Taichung Central Archive "10th Anniversary Keynote Speech." He delivered it in Japanese (Note 1- see original Japanese text) and I just translated it into English for my blog readers who cannot read Japanese. I have never seen such clear and concise introduction of the Japanese language. I saw Dennis's obituary on Facebook hidden among the many 2014 New Years greetings, the most unexpected communication. I'm glad I noticed it. He wrote to me six months ago saying "no more letters please." I was wondering how he was battling his cancer. He sent me a CD a few years ago in which he recorded his own singing of "Like a River Flow," a song popularized by singer Misora Hibari. “Oh, nice, he likes to sing" was my honest reaction without knowing singing was his way of therapy, a desperate escape from the pain of his illness.

I first met Dennis in the late 1990s. It was when I visited Fengyuan Toastmasters, an English language club, with which I was corresponding often and exchanged club newsletters with. The club venue, a Kennex Hotel basement, was full and thriving. Someone must have called Dennis and he came in just about when the meeting was adjourning. Then he took me to Taichung to meet another English club and introduced me to David Wang, who later became Taiwan's District Governor.

I read that Dennis's first encounter with Toastmasters was when he was relocated by his bank managing business from a Fengyuan branch to a southern Taichung branch. One day, at a newly relocated branch, a Canadian professor from the nearby National Chung Hsing University visited to open an account and Dennis was in charge of the customer because he had to address him in English. This Canadian, together with his university faculty members tried to set up a Toastmaster club and Dennis was invited. He was hesitant at first, in fear of the slow progress of study as people get older. But Alice Young, Dennis's wife, recommended that he pursue it and he got on board.

The rest is history as written by Robert Lee, the editor of the Rostrum, the Fengyuan Club Newsletter dated Feb 2000:

"Success doesn't come overnight, especially when we try to start everything from scratch…. However, our Club Founder, Dennis Chen made it happen. Our Godfather, Dennis was a man with a vision. He believed that Fengyuan was a special and unique place where he could uncover many outstanding potential Toastmasters without any problem… Believe it or not, he was also a member of Taichung, Wheelers, Beast and Fengyuan at that time."

Dennis was listed among the Hall of Fame - 1999 ROC Japanese Toastmasters’ Tall Tale Contest Champion.

We Japanese Toastmasters have lost our best friend from Taiwan and the best Japanese speaker there.

Note 1:
Dennis Chen and his wife Alice Young joined the International Toastmaster on April 4th 1984. Since then Dennis established seven clubs, including clubs for four different languages. Dennis really set a good example for every Toastmaster member. Dennis used to say "Old soldiers never die."

Note 2:
2007セントラル会創立１０周年
発起人の挨拶

「悪魔の言葉」に挑戦

世界で一番有名なアメリカの週刊誌タイムに掲載された日本語特集の記事に、 日本語は「悪魔の言葉だ」と、はっきりと書かれていました。確かに、日本語には、不規則で理解しにくく、ルールが矛盾しているのでは、と思われる部分が沢山有ります。日本語が母国語でない人々がそれをマスターするのは、極めて難しい事の様に思えます。

日本語は、和語、漢語と外来語の混合体ですが、先ず、和語は平仮名と片仮名で表現されるので、複雑になります。次に、漢語には、音読み、訓読みと言われる2種類の読み方がある上に、別の特別な読み方がある場合も決して珍しくありません。更に、話し手と聞き手の間の微妙な関係で使い方が異なる尊敬語、謙譲語と丁寧語は、日本語を習得したい人達の前に立ちはだかる最も高い壁だと思います。こういった難しさを克服して、日本語をある程度勉強しても、ラジオ、テレビや映画の随所に出てくる地方の方言や新しい外来語を耳にすると、たちまち自信が無くなってしまいます。ですから、悪魔の言葉といわれるのも無理はないと思います。

以上、散々日本語の悪口を書きましたが、実は私が日本語演説会の会員達と同じく「悪魔の言葉」魅せられて、永遠の日本語学習者になってしまったのです。もともと、言葉というものは、コミュニケーションの道具です。他の言葉と客観的な比較は出来ませんが、日本語は幅が広く奥ゆかしく、論理的というより、むしろ情緒的な言葉ですので、頭脳というよりは、心の奥深くに届く点が、素晴らしいと思います。

言葉を学習する一番よい方法は、赤ちゃんが言葉を覚える遣り方だと思います。 赤ちゃんは無意識に父母や大人たちの話を聞いて、時間が経つにつれて片言で話 をし始めます。しかし、私たち外国人が学校や塾で外国語を学習する時は、順序が違います。

ほとんどの場合、教科書から読み始め、字を書き、文法を習います。聞くことと話すことはあまり重視されていませんので、難しい外国文学を読める人が外人との簡単な会話を流暢に話せない様な事が良く起こります。その点、日本語演説会では「聞く」と「話す」に重点を置いているので、「日本語の達人」が生まれてきます。私達の欠点を十分に直すにはよく聞き、よく話すことです。子供のように、無心で聞き、

思いついたままに話すことができたら、しめたものです。私達の台中中央セントラル日本語会は創立１０周年になり、今月から第１１年になります。例会、読書会、親睦会やコンテスト等の活動で会員達に日本語を充分に話せる環境を提供して来ました。

会員達（特に熱心な若い人）は著しい進歩。これからも、このクラブの素晴らしさと楽しさを皆さんと分かち合ってゆきたいと思っています。皆様、誇りを持って、頑張りましょう。

Anjiro, Japanese Guide for Xavier

Happy New Year everybody!

Miracles abound in history. Some people call them destinies. It was in 1547 that St. Francisco Xavier (1506-1552), known as the Apostle of the East, met a Japanese named Anjiro in Melaka, Malaysia, introduced by Portuguese Captain Jorge Alvarez. The name Anjiro comes from the English Angel, and no personal records were found except that he was born in Satsuma, now Kagoshima in Kyushu. It was said that Anjiro was a fugitive seeking a shelter overseas after committing a felony. On board the Portuguese vessel, the above Captain Alvarez took his crew member Anjiro, perhaps as a Samurai who was willing to atone for his crime, and suggested he better embrace Christianity. Anjiro, following the captain's advice, became a Christian, studied both in Melaka and Goa, and when he met the captain years later, his Portuguese was fairly brushed up, and he was almost ready to serve as an interpreter for Xavier.

Upon departing from Lisbon, Xavier had relished a noble dream and hope as a young missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. After the long tiresome voyage over the treacherous ocean, stopping a year in Mozambique in Africa, 3 years in Goa in India, and two years living in Melaka, while traveling to Timor a few times, he thought he did his best despite language barriers. He converted many people, but progress was slow with lesser success than he had anticipated. He wasn't fully satisfied. When he encountered Anjiro, he was struck with joy and so reported "God has put it into my heart" to King John "to go to the islands of Japan to spread our holy faith."

Melaka Viceroy Pedro de Silva, the 5th son of Vasco de Gama, pledged financial help for the voyage and propagation, prepared gifts, such as a music playing clock, organ, matchlock, crystal glass, satin damask, bottles of wine, books, etc. On April 15, 1549, Xavier set sail on board the Chinese junk accompanied by Father Cosme Torres, John Fernandez and Anjiro, arriving at Kagoshima on August 25. Kagoshima was Anjiro's native city, and he quickly obtained from Lord Shimazu permission for Xavier to preach. While Anjiro translated and circulated the Creed, and some simple prayers, Xavier set himself to learn the Japanese language.

As soon as he could use it fluently, he began to preach. But, not long afterwards, the Lord grew angry with the Portuguese merchants because they had abandoned his port of Kagoshima to carry on their trading at Hirado, a better port a little to the north of Nagasaki. He withdrew the permission he had given and threatened to punish any Japanese who became a Christian. The few converts remained faithful and declared they were ready to suffer punishment or death rather than deny Christ. After a year at Kagoshima, Xavier decided to push on to Hirado, carrying on his back all the articles necessary for the celebration of Mass. At Hirado the missionaries baptized more converts in twenty days than they had done at Kagoshima in a whole year. Leaving these converts with Father Torres in charge, Xavier and his party set out over land for Kyoto, the imperial capital. They went by the beautiful inland sea to the port of Yamaguchi, and Xavier preached there, in public and through Anjiro, before the local prince.

After a month's stay at Yamaguchi, Xavier resumed his journey with his companions. It was nearing the end of the year, and they suffered from inclement weather and bad roads. They reached Kyoto in February and here Xavier found that the city was in a state of civil disorder and utter chaos, and the emperor was in retreat. So after a fortnight's stay, he returned to Yamaguchi. He received an official invitation from the Bungo Lord Sorin Otomo, a breakthrough. He was successful to have one of the powerful Daimyos christened and under his auspices, his friends and relatives who followed suit. However, these favorable turn of events did not hinder his personal ultimate goal to travel to China to preach the Gospel. In 1552, Xavier left Japan without knowing he was doomed to die on the way.

Portuguese missionaries, such as Luis Frois, Francisco Cabrel, Alessandro Valignano, Gasper Vilela followed Xavier, to harvest seeds sowed by Xavier, but all the Jesuit's efforts came to naught when in 1587 deportation orders by Taiko Hideyoshi took effect, and in 1612 Christianity was banned by the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Were Xavier, Anjiro and all the other Jesuits forgotten? No, not at all! We see statues of St. Xavier in Kagoshima, Hirado, Nagasaki, and Oita in Kyushu. Yamaguchi, Xavier's favorite city, built not only the Xavier Memorial Church (see photo) but concluded sister-city relations with Navarre (now in Spain) where Xavier was born. Anjiro is remembered both in Kagoshima and Melaka. Without him, Xavier's visit to Japan never would have happened. We certainly recognize their footprints in the Portuguese words adopted into Japanese, such as, alcool, carta, caramela, castella, pao, padre, sabao, tempero and many more. They were the first Caucasians to land in Japan (given nicknames were "Southern Barbarians") that surprised and implanted deep impressions on the Japanese and opened their eyes to the outer world. The National Treasure, Kano School artwork on the folding screen at the Kobe Museum illustrates scenes from their mission.

Records of Anjiro became blurred along with his Christened name Paulo de Santa Fe once Xavier left Japan. He might have taken all the blame that his translations caused problems, e.g. Dainichi for Christ, Mary for Kannon, etc. versus Buddhism. Rumors said he traveled again overseas.

Note:
The above article first appeared in the magazine CABARAN (Challenge) of the Chi Wen Secondary School, Bahau, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

"Painted My Way" - Henry Fukuhara, A True Artist

Shadow of the distant pass;
Their memories still last
Manzanar: Monument of Tears.
Ignorance and pseudo-fears;
A wrong that can't be made right;
A blindness for lack of sight;
A day now engulfed by night;
A hope shaded, once so bright.
The memories still last,
… they still last

- "Manzanar" by William Smith

The best souvenir of my recent Californian trip was an art book "Painted My Way", designed and printed in 2011 by the APC Fine Arts & Graphic Gallery, Torrance, California. Phyllis Doyon, who has her studio and gallery in Camarillo, gave it to me when my daughter Yukina and I visited her. Yukina saved the local newspaper report of the "Painted My Way" Exhibition in Thousand Oaks during the month of August. I flew into LAX on Sept 2, so, I missed the exhibition. Calling Phyllis, the exhibition organizer, Yukina found one of Phyllis' works from the Exhibition still being shown at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery. We dropped in after our lunch outing. Phyllis drew a newly built mess hall, which I wasn't aware of, on my Manzanar visit five years ago. Yukina and I, with grandson Ray, drove to Camarillo to hear what Phyllis could tell us.

It was the first time I heard about Henry Fukuhara (1913-2010), a water color artist and teacher. Henry was an internee at the Manzanar Camp with his family from Los Angeles. They all left for Long Island, New York when World War II ended. They were engaged in a floral business there until late in the 1980s when Henry decided to move back to Santa Monica.

He was an art oriented person when he was young. As Henry made the pilgrimage back to Manzanar, he thought of leading an art workshop with a number of his artist friends, welcoming anyone who responded to his lofty ideal, Japanese Americans or not. He conducted the first workshop at the age of 85 and kept at it until he was physically unable to do so. He continued even when his eyesight deteriorated and fell half blind. Now Phyllis, one of the chaperons, told me the "Painted My Way" workshop survived Henry's death and the exhibitions continue. She introduced me to key artists who succeeded Henry.

Upon my return to Japan, I checked to see if I had missed Henry Fukuhara's name among the Japanese American artists introduced in the two great exhibitions of Japanese American artists I saw in Japan. One was the 1995 Summer Exhibition held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Garden Museum (event cosponsored by JANM, LA and Japan Association of Art Museums for the 50th End of War Commemoration, with a tremendous collection of over 200 artwork, including Chiura Obata, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Dan Harada, Matsusaburo Hibi, Henry Sugimoto, and others.

The other was the most recent Smithsonian-sponsored "Art of Gaman" Exhibition held in succession at Tokyo, Sendai, Fukushima, Hiroshima, and Okinawa, since 2012. Arts and crafts items covered a wide variety of artifacts including tools, teapots, furniture, toys, games, pendants/pins, purses and ornaments.

When I found that Henry Fukuhara had not been introduced yet to Japan, I felt it my duty to let the Japanese see his powerful and inspirational work as shown in the book "Painted My Way".

His Manzanar days of less than 5 years influenced him greatly almost like an obsession. I know another artist from the same generation, with a similar obsession in Yamaguchi-ken, a neighboring prefecture to Fukuoka where I now reside. His name is Yasuo Kazuki (1911-1974) and his obsession was Siberia. Yasuo wanted to become an artist like Henry, but he was drafted into the army and sent to Manchuria. At the end of the War, Russians sent him to Siberia for hard labor. His Siberian experience was 2 to 3 years, shorter than Henry's internment at Manzanar, but he lived there with death all around him. Upon his return to Yamaguchi, he began producing prolific artworks (his Siberian Series won the Grand Artist Prize of Japan) which were all requiems to his friends who died in the Siberia gulag.

Kazuki wrote all the dreams I had in Siberia were about my old home in Yamaguchi. But upon returning home, all I dreamed about were Siberian scenes - heavy snowfalls outside the window; poor prisoners all with drooped heads treading leaden feet back to the camp; horrible dreams of dread of receiving sentences of longer penal servitude.

Kazuki wrote also about the difference between an artisan and an artist. An artisan is a person who chooses art as his profession, whereas an artist is a person who chooses art as his way of life. He humbly admitted he had a dual life as an artisan and artist, although he tried to be artist. Henry Fukuhara inspired 80 to 100 artists and artisans in Manzanar each year. That's something only a real artist can do. He was never an artisan. I sincerely hope the Manzanar pilgrimage will continue on and on.

Voluntary Evacuation

"Attempted but failed" was my understanding of what happened with the voluntary evacuation efforts by the Japanese Americans when Japan declared war against the Allied Forces in attacking Pearl Harbor. Ryo Takasugi's book on Fred (Isamu) Wada took me by surprise. The book, written a decade ago, was recently republished as The Man who Ushered in the (1964) Tokyo Olympics from Kobunsha. What caught me was its subtitle "The Story of an Issei Japanese Who Refused to go to the Concentration Camp."

The scene began in an affluent Chapultepec residence of Mexican General Jose de J. Clark Flores, then the Vice President of the IOC. Fred Wada visited General Clark as a special envoy representing the Tokyo Olympic Prep Board.

"Muy encantado de veer a Vd. por aqui y agradezco mucho a Vd., Senor General!
"Sr. Wada, Vd. puede hablar español!"
"Un poquito, nada mas!"

"I own ‘Farmer Fred's Market’ in Los Angeles. There are many Mexicans among our employees. So maybe OK for simple conversations."

General Clark softened with a smile.

"During the War, I was a farmer in Utah, as I didn't want to go to the camps."
"Sr. Wada, this is the first time I heard there were Japanese Americans who didn't go to the camps!"
"It's true, General. 130 of us went to Keetley, Utah. It was very wild and barren land. Masako and I had a hard time cultivating it!"

Fred, reminisced quietly awhile, and looked at Masako, his wife. The General stood impressed and shook Fred's hand and Masako's. This is the moment General Clark befriended Fred and eventually gave Tokyo, Japan his favorable voice and recommendation as the next Olympic site.

"130 Japanese Americans in Keetley, Utah!" Wow! First time I heard of this as well. I searched Keetley on Google. It was located about 60 kilometers east from Salt Lake City, and south close to Park City. It was once a mining town but is now submerged underwater in the Jordnanelle Reservoir since 1995. The Reservoir is north of Heber City. Both Park and Heber Cities belong to the same Wasatch (Native Indian word for Mountain Pass) County, aka Wasatch Back. Salt Lake City is aka Wasatch Front.

Upon hearing the news about Pearl Harbor, Fred Wada, a produce marketer in Oakland, felt that the evacuation of the Japanese Americans from the west coast was imminent. He had read in the paper that the State of Utah was short-handed in farming and traveled to Utah with Masako. With the help of a Japanese American acquaintance, he nailed down key people to talk to, participating in local farmers' assemblies and committing their allegiance to the U.S. Government. Although Duchesne (eastern Wasatch) was the only county which voiced assent, Wada felt there was a ray of hope. He sought the same Wasatch, but closer to Salt Lake City for marketing, struck the deal with George Fisher, the Mayor of Keetley, cattleman, and developer, for a 3800 acre land leasing agreement at $7000 a year when George offered his old housing facilities used for miners. Fred met Utah Governor Herb Maw before returning to Oakland, promising they would not be a burden to the state. Fred Wada made the right decision. I thought. Utah is known as a Mormon state, religiously homogeneous society. I wasn't sure if George Fisher was a Mormon, but Governor Maw was most likely a doyen (senior member), his words honored by most Utahans.

The Keetley Farm Colony plan was laid. Fred mustered like-minded colleagues and their families under the banner "Food for Victory." March 29, 1942 was the deadline they had to meet; otherwise they had to report for the enforced evacuation as per the Executive Order 9095.

The snow covered highland (1400 meters above sea level) and harsh winter (often down to 20 below zero) waited for their arrival, accompanied with racial animosity. As the community was setting up the hot bath they brought from Oakland, they were threatened with a dynamite explosion, which was triggered by the former mining dwellers that were requested to leave Keetley.

The Japanese Americans first busied themselves repairing the buildings in which they resided. Once the spring snow began to melt they cleared the sagebrush from the land, dug out the rocks by hand, and then began to plant a large truck garden with lettuce and strawberries. They raised chickens, pigs, and goats.

Their discovery when the snow thawed was disappointing. The arable land was 1/10th of the contracted 3800 acres, covered with ubiquitous stones. The deadly report, I read, 50 tons of stones hauled out of 150 acres. No machines were available then. All were done manually with sweat.

They didn't complain. They just went to work long and enduring hours. Once the farm was established, maintaining it was left to the wives and children while many of the men worked as laborers in sugar beet fields on surrounding farms. The first year's crops were presented to Governor Maw and made some Salt Lake City news, but later efforts were obstructed by the Anti-Japan road blockades. Fred had to switch to a less desirable neighboring market in Park and Heber Cities. The season was short, snow came in September.

Fred narrowly broke even his first year, but the second year brought a serious crisis. 50 pigs they raised died of a sudden disease. Planning to use the land for sheep herding, Fred negotiated with Fisher for the second lease agreement. Fisher vetoed sheep herding, because of his adamant conviction that sheep spoil pastures. The negotiation failed. Details of the aftermath were not known, but the main workforce went into subcontracting, leaving the remaining families in Keetley until the war ended.

Fred moved his family to Murray, near Salt Lake City, leasing a 16 acre farm, where he could produce celery and onions year round.

What drove Fred to Utah, in my opinion, was l) his clairvoyance and entrepreneurship; 2) his faith in humanitarian creeds; 3) his quest to test his excellence in marketing. He no doubt believes men have no enemies if he spoke from his heart, allaying fears of others and even profiting from adversity. He also put his full confidence in the Mormons.

I don't know if he knew Governor Ralph Car of Colorado who might have welcomed them to Arizona instead of Utah. I have just read Colorado Governor Ralph Car who saved the Japanese Americans (Japanese title, translation 2013) written by Adam Schrager. The original title was the Principled Politician: the Governor who staked his political future on his Jap stand. Governor Car might have provided Fred with a better test site that would have made Fred's marketing a slam dunk. Who knows?

Estonian Venture

My religion is quilts
I believe the textiles
Sewn in quilts have made it to heaven

- by Marja Matiisen, Viljandi Academy of Culture*

Kim, my Yokohama friend, a veteran skier (see Kim's Mont Blanc Ski Trek) headed for the Baltic Sea this time, because her ski trip got cancelled. This time she and a long time friend from school wanted to explore knitting and quilting in Estonia. Estonians make up the majority of the population and have rich cultural traditions - love of music, dance, choirs, folk arts, including colorful knitting and embroidery, probably still untouched and unseen by any Asians.

They started contacting possible knitters or schools who would accept them via the Internet and the effort paid off in friendly social networking and trips to inland, as well as beach cities, plus a couple of interesting off-shore islands. They flew to Helsinki and crossed to Tallinn on June 20 this year for a three week visit.

Kim, who knew I was in Tallinn, sought my advice, but my trip was a day excursion returning the same day. The only advice I could give was reminding her of the hour time difference between Helsinki and Tallinn. I‘m afraid I was one of those tourists that blindly recite the UNESCO designation that Tallinn represents Medieval Estonia. Yes, Tallinn, Tartu, Viljandi, Parnu, and Narva were among the listed Hanseatic/Teutonic cities, but Estonia soon became the battleground for centuries where Denmark, Germany, Russia, Sweden and Poland fought their many wars over controlling this important geographical position, with most of the Teutonic castles wrecked and ruined.

Swedish control did not last long because Russia defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War. The Russian revolution gave Estonia a good dispute and the Tartu Treaty in the early 1900s, but with the outburst of World War II, Russia annexed and suppressed Estonia for almost a century. Estonian independence came in 1992 when the compassionate human chain was formed among the Baltic three countries - Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Estonia joined EC in 2004 and has used the Euro since 2011. It is nicknamed today as the Baltic Tiger.

I am fascinated with Kim's travel photos and notes, realizing that you have to be out of Tallinn in order to know real Estonia, its diversity and hidden ethnic world. In hopping across the country, they used bus transportation which was more convenient than railroad. The bus was the right choice, leading to human interactions and warm hospitable receptions. Kim's party was greatly helped more than once by friendly drivers with a willingness to serve. For example, Kim dared to visit Koguva, a tiny village on Muhu Island, famous for the best preserved 18th/19th threshed barn house. Taking a bus to reach Koguva seemed challenging, particularly on the weekend. They were able to visit it with the voluntary help of the inn bus driver, who ferried them to the mainland.

I was told Estonians cherish the countryside and even urban dwellers maintain strong rural ties. Associating with their belief in the earth spirit**, I believe the Japanese and Estonians have a similar frame of mind.

I wish to congratulate the success of their venture and look forward to seeing their report on Estonian knitting.

Note:

1) Viljandi Academy of Culture merged with the University of Tartu in 2005. The UT VCA teaches professional higher education and performs applied research within information science, culture education and creative arts. The academy has about 1000 students, half of whom are open university students. Kristi Joeste, lecturer of Estonian native crafts met Kim and her friend and conducted an intensive workshop. Please visit Kristi's blog written in both Estonian and English.

2) The belief system of indigenous Estonians is called "Maausk" to which the Japanese concept "Satoyama" comes close.

3) Most Estonian island ferries carry buses and cars. Kim told me that the Baltic Sea freezes in winter, enabling cars to cross the ocean to small islands. Fantastic! Caution needed by keeping your direction fixed and being mindful of overall weight.

4) Kim's photo album

Quilt By Accident

"Life is like a patchwork quilt
And each little patch is a day,
Some patches are rosy, happy and bright,
And some are dark and gray.

But each little patch as it's fitted in
And sewn to keep it together
Makes a finished block in this life of ours
Filled with sun, and with rainy weather.

So let me work on Life's patchwork quilt
Through the rainy days and the sun--
Trusting that when I have finished my block
The master may say: "Well done."

- poem by Elizabeth Ryan DeCoursey

In early September my son Raymond drove all of us to the LA County Fair in Pomona, the land of citrus fruit in the foothills of the San Gabrielle Mountains. We arrived just in time for the opening at noon. Our objective was to see his sister Amy's quilt block that won the Best in Show quilting award at the Fair. We encountered stuffy air and heat immediately after getting out of the air-conditioned car, reminiscent of my first step outside the airplane at the Phoenix Arizona Airport years ago. Oh no, how can we beat this deadly heat today! Relief in sight! One of the corporate sponsors, Sparkletts, treated Fair visitors with free ice-cold sparkling water. Yip-pee!

Raymond tried to decipher the complex Fair Map to locate the quilt exhibits. He tried Millard Sheets Center for the Arts first. It was in the innermost fair site, so we climbed over a little hill for a shortcut, passed the lagoon and entered a remote oblong-shaped building. We didn't find it. We inquired a few attendants. No luck. Finally, Raymond found the word "Tapestry" on the map which was inside the main building at the horse track near the Carnival Section, close to the entrance gate. After going back to where we started, we finally found Amy's quilt block.

Enclosed inside the glass case, Amy's owl on a bluish background was shining at the top of the block with a big gold medallion. There were 3 categories of competition, a) Piece (traditional), b) Appliqué (more of a free style), and c) Combined (which combines elements of the other two). Amy entered into the C category. She not only won the Blue Ribbon in C, but won Best in Show for all categories. The rules directed all entries to use the same fabric. I heard Amy donated her block to charity while all the others kept theirs.

The buildings, including Shopping Pavilions, were all air-conditioned; most visitors were there, relaxed and cool, enjoying grand shopping - a sort of summer exodus zone. I was surprised to see so many Jacuzzi / hot tub vendors displaying big steam sauna baths. Quite a change from the old state fair days I used to know.

Amy, per my daughter, is a microbiologist who graduated from Cal Poly Pomona. In her career, she works to ensure that drinking water is clean and safe. She manages field and lab work, as well as regulatory compliance for the area surrounding her home town of Hemet, California. She pursued quilting as a hobby almost by accident. Her enthusiasm and devotion to quilting was obvious by looking at her gifts to my daughter‘s family, which I was able to examine after visiting the LA County Fair. I liked her quilt with the sunflower appliqué. I asked my daughter how Amy fell in love with quilting. Apparently, she was interested in sewing from a young age.

Amy perhaps heard of my interest in her quilt work through my daughter and wrote to me, "My Mother-in-Law saw this little owl and wants me to make one for her too! I only have scraps of that fabric left. I have to see what I can do!!" "That sounds wonderful, Amy, my sister-in-law here in Japan is an ardent owl collector - from a stuffed owl to a tiny key holder with an owl on it! Can you make one for her, too?" I wrote back.

A day before returning to Japan, my daughter took me to the Conejo Valley Quilters Show and Auction, a two-day event, held at California Lutheran University Gilbert Sports Arena. My daughter's house is nearby. At the entrance was a car covered with the featured quilts, entitled "Quilt My Ride Car Cover." Fifty or more people contributed to this challenge.

The show has everything from lessons on quilting, shops for sewing machine (old and new), fabrics, threads, boutique and doll stores, to demonstrations of paper piecing, hand quilting, societies of appliqué, appraisers, etc. Just circling around the venue, visitors learned all about quilts - banners, memorials, themes, tree of life, pictorials, stories, etc. There were traditional and contemporary styles, and a bit of history on how American quilts were brought into the new world by immigrants and how it developed into a high art form.

Thank you, Raymond and Amy, for opening my eyes to the wonderful world of quilts.

Revisiting Balboa Park Japanese Friendship Garden

I wish to dedicate this article to: Will Hippen, Jr., Clara Breed, Marge Wells, Mark Umemura, Ken Takada, Denny Ikeda, and George Woodworth.

Recently, I had the chance to re-visit the Balboa Park Japanese Friendship Garden. I tried to rely on my memory to find the entrance from the Organ Pavilion, the center of San Diego Balboa Park. I found myself at the VIP (or service) gate which was locked to the general public. Once I realized I was at the wrong gate, I stopped two girls who seemed to be returning from lunch and told them that I had an appointment with the Japanese Friendship Garden Executives. They opened the gate and ushered me into the nearest building, which was their administrative building, and fortunately exactly where I was supposed to be.

I found about five people there, one young man and four young women. From their appearances I guessed they were sales people selling wedding banquets. The waiting room table was full with wedding service advertisements for photographers, florists, hairdressers, and the like. When I was walking out around 4:30 p.m., a banquet setting was in preparation. I saw outdoor lighting, catering gear, band crew instruments, and other things that suggested a wedding. Seemingly the main business associated with the garden is related to wedding banquets. These young people were very lively, and I am sure they were quite good at selling the banquets. The Japanese Garden has a long history of catering to weddings; the brochure said 15 years of service.

The conceptual starting date, however, could go back at least 25 years ago. Will Hippen, Jr., Honorary Consul General of Japan in San Diego, 1st President and donor himself of the Japanese Friendship Garden, raised the banner and blazed the trail. He had his own Japanese garden complete with Koi pond and tea house, where he held a reception party more than once when the Japanese self-defense Navy frigate visited San Diego port. He invited officers and sailors alike, members of SD-Yokohama sister-city relations to mingle with food and drink, while the Japanese naval band played both US and Japanese music.

Two ideas for a Japanese Garden were circulating. The first had to do with the city of San Diego contemplating if its Balboa Park gorge area could be developed into a Japanese garden. The second consisted of a local group of Japanese Americans trying to rebuild the Japanese garden, a popular 1915 Panama International Exhibit, which was destroyed during WWII. It was Will Hippen who combined these two ideas into one grand plan. He first asked Mayor Wilson, and then his successor Rodger Hedgecock to sign a 100-year lease agreement to use the gorge in Balboa Park as a Japanese Friendship Garden. Thankfully, he ultimately succeeded. I was honored to attend the signing ceremony at the Mayor’s office.

A fund raising campaign started immediately with a very tough requirement; the lease agreement stipulated there be enough money to break ground on the project by a specified date. My former company, Kyocera, took the lead in the campaign, as Dr. Inamori, President, was thankful and enthusiastic for being listed among the best San Diego businesses to participate in the project. The Japanese Friendship Garden concept struck his heart and his first comment upon visiting Balboa Park was “Kyoto where he resides has more challenging venues than Balboa gorge and he never worried about the awkward cliff and sharp slopes to landscape despite the misgivings of the local people.”

When I left San Diego in the mid-1990s, I remembered the Japanese Friendship Garden sitting only on top of the gorge close to the Organ Pavilion, the Meiji style gate designed by Storrier Sterns, the curved pathways along the bamboo groves, the exhibit house as the main event center, the Karesansui (dried garden), the outdoor tea reception stage, etc. The crepe myrtle I donated in memory of Denny Ikeda (a Kyocera employee gunned down by two ruffians near Sea World) was still there, extending its branches.

Today, going down through Stern’s gate (which was moved to the newly expanded garden), I was thrilled to see a couple of pseudo-glens already covered with white stones—one cascade to be covered in water, other perhaps to remain dry—as I strolled down the cherry tree pathway. Mike Kawamura, the Japanese Friendship Garden VP and my fellow colleague at work, told me that more than 100 cherry trees were transplanted already. Honestly, I felt uneasy as to whether my physical stamina could carry me down the gorge and back to the top. Thanks to the ADA compliant strolling pathway, I had no problem, but found myself exhilarated with the walk while viewing the camellia/azalea slope garden.

As per their latest new release, the Japanese Friendship Garden, just a month ago, had the August Moon Gala and Awards Dinner celebration to open its north end of the garden expansion before the official public opening. This addition is now open. I saw many people walking down the roughly planted gorge, crossing the Dragon Bridge, zigzagging the cherry tree grove, stopping at one of the pairing ponds.

The other pairing pond, larger than the pond near the Dragon Bridge, is coming with what the Japanese Friendship Garden is calling the “Pavilion” and “Amphitheater”; the next and perhaps the last phase of construction. It will be located where the horse stables of the SD Park Police were once found. I heard that the Pavilion could be PAGODA shaped. That’s a fantastic concept and could contribute to this garden becoming the best West Coast Japanese garden; perhaps rivaling the Sankei-en gardens in Yokohama, Japan, which acclaimed the world’s best by Tagor and others. Dennis Otsuji is confident. The Japanese Friendship Garden President said they could definitely finish all the construction by 2015, the year SD will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its Panama Exhibition at Balboa Park.

Finally, I dropped in at the donors’ board and fondly found very familiar names: fellow Japanese corporations: Sanyo, Sony, Fujitsu, Nissan, Union Bank. San Diego corporations: Naiman, A.O. Reed, Qualcom, Kokusai Travel. Then, Acquaintances: Saburo Muraoka & Family, Bruce Henderson, Marge Wells, Moto Asakawa & Family, Kay Leonard/J. Forsyth, Dr. R. Phillips, Dr. Harvey Itano, Takeo Uesugi, Kuramoto, Bishop, Bogart, Arthur Jonishi, 5 Samurais of Kyocera.

Links:

Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego

Discover Nikkei article source