Reports to those who worried about my solitary life
(Please feel no more worry about me, because I’ve got a partner!)

This top page column is to let my readers know of something that might bring them feel at ease knowing that I, a solitary 80-year-old man living alone by taking care of everything by myself, is no longer solitary being with a Filipina wife in a bright and happy new life. The above linked article shows everything about my new life!

As the visitors of this website know, I, the writer and editor of this website, is over 80-year old man with polio living alone with everything made by myself including shopping, cooking, cleaning while making a lot of writing through this website from morning till night sometimes even in mid night.

Many of my Filipino and Japanese friends here say they worry about me with a thought what would happen if I became suddenly unable to take care of myself? Many of them even encouraged me to have a Filipina maid or helper or caretaker, or even encouraged so far as to say why not have a Filipina wife?

It’s been my wish that when I ever become to need a caretaker, I would select no body but a Filipina the best because I could use English, my favorite language, for conversation in my life under her care.

It happened that I was given a privilege of meeting and getting married with a Filipina in unbelievably quick way and mysterious motivation as if given a way by the will of God. This we two deeply and strongly feel each other.

The Weekly messages and other columns have already dealt with the story of our marriage. Among them the longest one in English is;
“Hitorigoto(Exclusive)”No.70 80-year-old-independent-self-cared man introduce Filipina wife. No.70 happens to be ten times of lucky seven! This article comes from my humble hope of trying to make my readers and friends feel at ease by knowing what kind of a person my wife is, and say, “Oh, it’s good to know that no more worry about Mr. Yoshida with such a nice and good wife as his life long partner!”

An additional introduction about my wife could be seen when you click the house she owns in her province of Pangasinan.

Welcome to visit my website! An old man of over 80-year old is trying to continue writing and editing this by himself. Because of my poor knowledge of website editing work, this is quite simple with no color, and the layout is never that smart as seen among others. However, the writer-editor is a bit proud of having rich contents, I mean, entirely original and personal.

It was March 6, 2001 when I first opened this website as the president of Logitant, Inc., logistic and management consultant. It was aimed at trying to let the visitors know of my activity as a lecturer and my identification for capturing the contract opportunity with the clients.

Behind this was my career of writing activity and opportunity at an early stage of my life as a businessperson. On the other side was my wish to do something to keep the record of my writing accomplishments in my life.

One of my targets of life is to become the “Last survivor of the Hiroshima a-bomb” with a thought of Ms. Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the Titanic. This website would be a good record of my life as the a-bomb survivor.

I would like to continue writing what in my heart and soul through this website. I would appreciate if the visitors would come back again to see what this writer-editor is trying to say and write. (November 26, 2001)

(My wish to the English reading visitors of this site! Please help Japanese to get the right view of the Japanese edition with the right choice of "Encoding")
Please keep in mind when your Japanese friends ask you to open the Japanese edition by clicking "In Japanese", the letters would turn to be corrupted because of the improper "Encoding" selection" for the Japanese language. Please try the following steps to get the Japanese site show right for the Japanese people wanting to read my Japanese written site;

Firstly, try to find a line of "Tools", which show like "File Edit View Bookmarks Tools Help". Different computers have different ways to get this series of Tools, mostly hidden.

Secondly, please try to click with the right button of your mouse at the empty area on the top of your display. You would see a line of menu like "Menu Bar, Navigation Toolbar, Bookmarks Toolbar, Add-on Bar, Tabs on Top and Customize". The most important one is "Menu Bar". My computers are checked them all. Then you would come to find a line of the tools on the far left and upper side of your display of "File Edit View Bookmarks Tools Help".This is the very thing most needed! This should be kept at all times when you visit or edit or write anything.

Thirdly, click "View" with the left button of your mouse, and you would see down a line of "Toolbars, Sidebar, Zoom, Page Style, Character Encoding". Click "Character Encoding" with the left button, and you would come this time to a line of "Auto-Detect, More Encoding, Etc., Unicode(UTF-8) and Etc." Click(Check) "Unicode(UTF-8)" first on the left button and then up to "Auto-Detect" and check! And now you would find the Japanese edition with non corrupted characters in an instant! You should know this is something that even a professional person scarcely know! Thanks for your cooperation!

My writing activity as a a-bomb survivor testimony

It was February 1st, 2009 that I moved to this country, the Republic of the Philippinesi, as my permanent residence. What I first tried to do was to write testimony articles as a a-bomb survivor, Hibakusha through this website, which I play as the only writer and the editor. The concrete plan was to write the testimony both in English and Japanese so that I could make myself understood by English speaking people, especially to the American people in the relationship to the atomic bomb.

When you click any button on the top line which are written in English, you will come to each site where you could read English for the introduction ahead of the Japanese, so that you could see what sort of the content it is. Thank you for your patience. (June 24, 2011)

As for my testimony as an a-bomb survivor, Hibakusha, I wrote from a different viewpoint from others, better say, from an angle never spoken by any Hibakushas before, from the three viewpoints. In regards to my open letter to President Obama, I appealed him to visit the a-bombed cities on the "65th-2010 Anniversary" simply for the reason that the year is annually periodic with the number of 65-10.

No Need to Apologize, Hiroshima Leader Tells Obama
(Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2011. )　

The governor of Hiroshima prefecture, Hidehiko Yuzaki, said that he would like President Obama to visit Hiroshima, and that an apology for the US atomic bombing of the city in 1945 would not be necessary. He said that all world leaders should visit the city "to see the actual reality of what happens if [nuclear weapons] are really used."

Mr. Yuzaki explained that he does not seek an apology from Mr. Obama for the United States' actions on August 6, 1945, which killed at least 140,000 people, because he "would like to talk about the future" instead of focusing on the past. For the detail, click;
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/11/11/no-need-to-apologize-hiroshima-leader-tells-obama/

My second mission;
To introduce the Philippines and its people to my fellow country people

I call the present life in the Philippines "the fourth stage of my life". Let me tell the readers and visitors of this website something about the episode of my choosing this country as the last stage of my life. For some reasons, I long had a dream of living abroad after the retirement.

In the first stage of my plan of living abroad, Malaysia was the place in my mind by my nephew's recommendation who used to work there as the branch chief officer of the biggest trading company in Japan. He strongly advised me to select it if I really wish to live in a foreign country as a pensioner because he and his family all enjoyed the five-year life there in comfort. He even promised me that he would be ready to prepare everything for me.

However, thing happened for me to shift the plan to this country, the Philippines. In June 2006 in Hiroshima, I had an opportunity of attending a businesspersons' lecture meeting where we had a Filipina speaker, who was Mrs. Carina Sosa Mouri, a resident of Hiroshima, teaching English conversation in university and in her own classes and others. She spoke mainly about her country with the big map in a mixed language of Japanese and English. I was one of the listeners who could understood her more than any other attendants.

I remember nothing happened ever since until two years after when we happened to meet again, I do not remember how and when exactly, though. I talked to her about my plan of life abroad in Malaysia, who opened her mouth to encourage me to choose her country as my permanent residence for two reasons. She emphasized two points strongly; one is the Philippines has English as its second national language and the other was they offer good caring services with special education for the caregivers and nurses. It was not long before I changed my mind to shift from Malaysia to the Philippines.

This dramatic meeting with her finally brought me be able to enjoy the life here so that I could say if it were not with her, I would have never had happiness in this country in all meanings. This is the very thing that makes me say, "She is the biggest benefactor, Onjin in Japanese, for me when I think of my last stage of life in a foreign country as a pensioner in such a successful way."

In parallel with the changing of my plan to this country, I came to realize the fact that during the World War II, Japanese soldiers killed more than a million Philippine citizens, to say nothing of so many of Filipino, Japanese and American soldiers with many of them left in the soil even now.

Those factors drove me to determine to live in the rest of my life here with prayers and consolation to the deceased. I even came to feel that it is my obligation to introduce this country and its people to my fellow country men and women through the website edited by myself. "Special standing corner for introduction of the Philippines and its people" that follows here shows what it is.

An interesting historical story about Japanese and Filipinos is seen in a series of articles published in "The Daily Manila Shimbun (News paper)". It is written in Japanese, though. It begins with a phrase of "In the beginning of 20-century, the Philippines was a country for Japanese to find job. Some 5000 Japanese workers came to the Philippines to work for the construction of roads and farming. They settled down in Baguio and Davao....". As well known, Japan is now the country where many Filipinos try to work, but it was opposite only a hundreds years ago. Click to see what it is like, though in Japanese. You could see some pictures.(March 26, 2012)
http://www.a-bombsurvivor.com/PDF/others/maniladailynewspaper.rticle.pdf

"A-bomb and Me"

This is my autobiography written in English. It tells about my life story which I call "The first, second, third and the fourth stage of life". If you click, you could read the contents, which have more than a hundred items on each of them attached are the manuscript of the English documents, still under construction to be corrected and be continued. (December 20, 2010)

Special standing corner for introduction of the Philippines and its people

1. I would like to introduce Mr. Masafumi Kasai, who is known as the best man to introduce the Philippines.
He lived in the US for five years, the Philippines for ten years. He came to know that Japanese have misunderstanding of this country and its people, so that he published the book and the article below;
(I) "The Philippines Misunderstood" By Masafumi Kasai (Pen name, Miro Kasai) 196-page
(2) "Japanese People Should Learn from Filipinos"1 2 3
JAPAN SPOTLIGHT (March, April 2009) JEF:Japan Economic Foundation

2. Friendship Association of Hiroshima and Luzon
A few months before leaving Japan, I happened to read an article with a picture in the Chuugoku Newspaper, which wrote about the association and its activities with the people in Luzon. The association tries to gather used cloths and shoos and bring them to this country for the poor children.

3. The Philippines Democracy comes from "BARANGAY(The smallest administrative organization)"
On October 1, 2010, I drove alone for the first time to the Metro Manila to visit Japan Embassy for the required paper by the Japan Pension Services. It was at that time that I came to know of the "BARANGAY". The Japan embassy man told me of the need of getting the Residence Certificate authorized by the BARANGAY.

BARAGAY is the smallest unit of local administration in the Philippines, which I believe has a deeply rooted historical background and yet is modern acting system, the root of democracy.

BARANGAY is the term meaning "Sailing boat". Before Spain came to rule this country, Malaysian people first came to these islands and settled in various places. The group has been called "Barangay" ever since. There are some 41,935 Barangays now throughout the country. It consists of nine counselors(seven elected).

The smallest unit of administrative organization of Barangay is sure to have been elevated the Filipinos mind of self-administration. While in Japan, ever since the so called "the age of local governance" has been installed, more importance is placed in "the people's participation in the administration" and "the cooperation between the locals". It seems that there could be found in this smallest administrative system a hint of how to achieve the grass-rooted participation to the local administration in Japan.

I often point out the fact that the democracy of the Philippines is deeper and more advanced in the historical aspect than that of Japan. In the Barangay system, I could make that notion of mine is more real and surer. Click the sites for more information, though in Japanese only.
(1)Philippines local administration "Barangay"
http://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/jimusyo/125SING/INDEX.HTM
(2)The Philippine people's self administrative organization; Mechanism of Barangay and the local society http://www.gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp/bpub/research/public/forum/25/04.pdf

4. One of the three Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry, An American,
Mr. Rechard Heck lives in RP with his Filipino wife

Together with professor Akira Suzuki and Eiichi Negishi, an American Rechard Heck won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. He lives in RP with his Filipino wife in Metro Manila, Quezon city, as a pensioner with his Filipino wife. Please click the below site of the Manila Times in the internet.

He is as old as I am. After retirement from the University of Delaware in 1989, in several years after, he has been living in RP with his Filipino wife in Quezon. As for the prize money, he says, "It's not enough to really fund much. I think that I'll keep it for rainy days."

5. Filipinos are rich in the heart with bright national character even though poor in economy.
What I have been deeply impressed and watched ever since I came to this country is that the poverty in this country reminds me of the days in Japan right after the War. We Japanese worked real hard and succeeded in developing the nation economically and physically all right. However, there came after the rapid economic advancement a serious discouragement among the people. One example is the high ratio of the Japanese committing suicide. See "The International ratio of the suicide"

7. Republic of the Philippines and its people are western-like nation with bright atmosphere
The Philippines was under the colonization by Spain from 1565 for 333-year, and then by the United States for another 48-year, total year of 381 colonized. The Catholic churches built hundreds years ago are still active in number, where Filipinos are attending from their ancestors to this generation. They have brought in the western culture and make it alive so that they look very much westernized. The people look very bright and westernized to make it their own culture. The Filipinas look very western style and pretty like the classic coca Cola bottle. The photo below is the one for "Miss Earth Philippines Candidates". I have this photo in the wall paper on my new second computer, which amuses me always. I hope the visitors to this website of mine would enjoy it, too.

The photo on the left side is "Binibinin Philipinas 2011". The Filipina has such beautiful proportion with long and straight legs. That come from their ancestors' tradition of what then call "Reform massage on baby O-type legs" until it begins to walk. This is something the Japanese ladies should learn from Philippines when they have babies for better style when grown up.

The columns for my writing activity through this website
Writing is something that I do not hesitate even though I do not think I am good at it. I only write as I think and want to write in a way I speak. If and when I come to want to say or write something, I cannot help doing it, or otherwise, I will be frustrated. I am lucky indeed that I do have a good place where I could post my writings, that is, in my own website edited by myself, regardless of whether or not the people come to visit my website to read. I would be pleased if two or three readers respond what I write here. It would be my honor and joy.

I learned in my boyhood that Bacon, the British philosopher in the Middle Ages, wrote; "Reading makes the man of the fulfilled. Debating makes him to be self determined. Writing makes him to be a man of accuracy", although this is my own interpretation from the Japanese phrase I have learned to keep in my mind up to this day. As far as my English composition skill is concerned, however, I could never expect to be so.

Message of the week
The Message of the Week, or Weekly Message, is written and posted on every Monday both in Japanese and English. The column is a sort of my weekly diary telling what happened during the week, though of course, the writer's intention is to tell the readers what I believe is interesting to read with my thought of giving meaningful information by telling about my personal thinking in the week. In the beginning, which started from August, 2008, was made in the form of "Running, scrolling, message". However, the message, becoming rather long, I shifted to the normal column type. The latest one, as of January 3, 2011, is No. 126, with not a single absent week ever since started. One thing I could say it gives me something is my good opportunity of practicing its skill up.

(Note)
The following columns are mainly written in Japanese except for some which, I think, need to be translated into English for the non Japanese readers. My wish is to make the English editions for each, but the fact is that I have no time to do it. In stead, each article has the English title so that when the English visitors happen to hit the site, he or she could imagine what the column tries to say. If the visitors are interested and want to know more, the writer is ready to translate at any time if requested by the email.

Hitorigoto (Monologue)
Hitorigoto means in Japanese Monologue or telling to oneself. My intention is to make my advocacy softened so that the readers are not given an impression of being imposed by the writer' personal opinion. I am never a critic nor the professional writer. This column is the place where I could express what in my mind on things or the topics happening every day. I try to write in a way like so instance, "I think this is so and so. What do you think?". The column started from June, 2008, and continue to this day with No.112 as of Jan, 2011.

Tokudane (Exclusive)
Tokudane means in Japanese special information. By that I intend to give my readers with my personal thought of the topic has some special value given by me as a resident of the Philippines so that they could read it with an imagination of the special information from the Philippines. The English naming of Exclusive might not be suitable. However, once I used the term in editing the website, the titles need to be kept. Otherwise, the linking functions are deleted.

Philippines information
As the title implies, this column is for giving my readers or visitors some information limited to the thing Philippines. One of my works that I put in myself is the introduction of this country and its people to my fellow country people. Behind this motivation is my thought about the fact that during the World War II, Japanese soldiers killed a million Filipino citizens and many soldiers, American soldiers to say nothing of the Japanese soldiers killed, many of them still left in the soil.

Others
This column is for my other writings which do not belong to any of the above ones.

Mail magazine from Philippines
I send this regular mail magazine, or news letter, at least once a month, 6th every month. The day of 6th has its root of my wish to make the point clear to myself as an a-bomb survivor of the Day of a-bomb drop on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Occasionally, special edition is sent in between. As of January 6, 2011, the number reached to No. 46. My wish is to send the English edition to the people whom I exchanged calling cards or got know during my life here up until this day.

A-bomb Survivor Testimony Speaker and Writer & Health-Sound Life Adviser
(Residence)
#52 Bakersfield Street, Laguna BelAir Subdivision,
Barangay Don Jose, City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Philippines 4026
Phone & Facsimile:049-508-2773    Mobile: 09179284374
E-mail : yoshida.yuuki@a-bombsurvivor.com
Website : http://www.a-bombsurvivor.com

No Need to Apologize, Hiroshima Leader Tells Obama (Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2011. )

No Need to Apologize, Hiroshima Leader Tells Obama
(Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2011. )　