CHICHI WEB

¡ÚConversation¡Û

 Be Desperate, and There Is Always a Way out of an Impossible Situation. Always Have Someone to Respect in Your Mind – Devoting Life to the Recovery of the Resona Group

Jiro Ushio (Chairman of USHIO INC.) ¡õ Eiji Hosoya (Chairman of Resona Holdings, Inc.)

4 years ago, “the Resona Group” requested for an injection of public funds of 2 trillion yen, and was forced into nationalization. The direction of its recovery was an important issue, which could influence even the direction of the Japanese economy. As the instrument of change, Mr. Jiro Ushio singled out Mr. Eiji Hosoya, who had achieved remarkable results for the privatization of the national railways. How did Mr. Hosoya take advantage of the opportunity in the impossible situation? He looks back to the road of reform, together with Mr. Ushio.

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 A Light Found in the Darkness

Hiroyuki Yoshiie (Head of the Education Rebuilding Council Office/Member of the Yokohama City Board of Education) ¡õ Hiroyuki Sugimoto (CEO of S-GRANT.CO.,LTD.)

In Japan, currently there are 640,000 youngsters called NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Training), who can’t find what they want to do and lost the energy to live. Mr. Hiroyuki Yoshiie and Mr. Hiroyuki Sugimoto also once had a period of wandering in a long tunnel. The two men have overcome unfathomable anguish and conflicts, and they are currently running their own way of education and management respectively with the utmost effort. How did they seize opportunities in their lives to take advantage of them? 

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 How to Take Advantage of the Current Opportunity in This Country

Shoichi Watanabe (Professor Emeritus of Sophia University) & Terumasa Nakanishi (Professor of Kyoto University)

¡¡Currently, discussions are increasing in Japan, on exercising the right to having a collective self-defense and constitutional amendments etc. On the other hand, if you look abroad, there are movements wielding a keen edge to Japan, such as the Resolution protecting the human rights of comfort women, and the production of a film featuring the Nanjing Massacre, and we can’t help but wonder “Why at this time?” Mr. Watanabe and Mr. Nakanishi, both have the eyes penetrating the history, exchange their views on the future international situation, touching upon the movements of the anti-Japanese organization behind that, and how Japan should advance under such circumstances.

¡ÚConversation¡ÛWhat You Can See in Extreme

Kazuo Murakami¡¡¡ÊProfessor Emeritus of Tsukuba University¡Ë¡õ¡¡Ryojun Shionuma¡¡¡ÊPriest of Jigen-ji Temple¡Ë

Mr. Ryojun Shionuma boldly took the challenge of Sen-nichikai-hogyo, which is said to be one of the most extremely tough trainings in Shugendo*, and completed it flawlessly. In the 1,300 year long history of the Kinpusen-ji Temple that holds the training, he is the second person who could complete it. With asceticism beyond imagination, transcending human norms and physical limits, what did he see past his ordeals? The authority in genetic engineering, Mr. Kazuo Murakami, Professor Emeritus of Tsukuba University, passionately probes into the reality of asceticism, and the truth of life that Mr. Shionuma attained through the experience.

*Shugendo is an old Japanese way of studying the relationship between Man and Nature. "Shugendo" literally means "the path of training and testing." It centers on an ascetic, mountain-dwelling lifestyle and incorporates teachings from other eastern philosophies. The focus or goal of Shugendo is the development of spiritual experience and power.

¡ÚInterview¡ÛI Will Continue to Fight As Long As I Live, Carrying My Patients’ Lives

Hiroyasu Kamiyama¡¡¡ÊChief of the First Department of Neurosurgery/Head of the Apoplexy Center, Asahikawa Red Cross Hospital¡Ë

Cerebral aneurysm is a clog formed in cerebral blood vessels. If it is left untouched, it will burst, cause subarachnoid hemorrhage, and the patient’s life will be in danger. However, corrective operations are extremely difficult, and one wrong move could result in permanent brain damage. Mr. Hiroyasu Kamiyama, brain surgeon, receives dozens of requests for this difficult operation every month. Patients who were turned away by other hospitals rush to Surgeon Kamiyama, desperate help. He accepts the patients and stands up heroically to challenge himself to save them. He shares with us what he has to say.

¡ÚConversation¡Û¡¿I Bear My Burden by Myself

Supported by the Way of Living of My Stepfather, Yoshio Toi

Yokuko Toi¡¡¡ÊBomori ¡ÌWife of a priest¡Í in Toko-ji Temple, Jodo Shinshu¡Ë &¡¡

Issei Terada¡¡¡ÊRepresentative of Fujin-sosho-kankokai¡Ë

Ms. Yukuko Toi married an elementary schoolteacher and started to live in Tantocho, located deep in the mountains in Hyogo Prefecture in 1981. However, her husband, who was passionate in education, suddenly collapsed during a physical education class and fell into a vegetative state when he was 45. Peaceful days changed drastically, and Ms. Toi was determined to manage a snack bar to support her bedridden husband and raise the children, over the protests of people around her. Through lots of hardships, she has come to grasp the deep meaning in the words of her stepfather, Yoshio Toi, who was an educator as well as a Buddhist. She looks back her life that she lived desperately, touching upon the memories of her stepfather, with Mr. Issei Terada, with whom she has been closely associated.

¡ÚInterview¡ÛIt Is Me Who Will Develop the Nation-One Person’s Spirit Will Improve the Region and Develop the Nation

 Kousei Nakajima ¡ÊMayor of Eniwa City¡Ë

Eniwa City is a small town in Hokkaido with the population of 68,000, located on the way from the New Chitose Airport to the inner city of Sapporo.
Currently, many people are paying attention to the reform of this town.
The Mayor of Eniwa City, Mr. Kousei Nakajima, who is the originator and also the flag-bearer of the reform, does not hesitate to say, “Everything is for the sake of happiness of the next generation.”
What is the philosophy of Mayor Nakajima to improve the region and to develop the country?

¡ÚConversation¡Û What Shoin Yoshida Teaches Us-The Way of Living by Doing What You Are Supposed to Do at Where You Are Supposed to Be

Toshishige Ueda¡¡¡ÊChief priest of the Shoin Shrine¡Ë¡¡¡õ¡¡Masaaki Kawaguchi¡¡¡ÊProfessor of University of Human Environments¡Ë

Hagi is a regional city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, located far from central Japan, at the west end of Japan’s main land.
At the end of the Edo Period*, a humble private school named Shoka-son-juku, which was as small as 1 eight-mat room (approximately 13­Ö), was established by Shoin Yoshida in this small village. In due course, this small private school became the driving force in transforming Japan.
In that sense, Shoin Yoshida epitomizes a person who improved the place where he was for the best.
Although it has been nearly 150 years since he passed away, there seems to be no end to his followers, who respect him as their teacher in their hearts, and are influenced by his teachings.

What are the things that we are supposed to learn from Shoin now?
Mr. Toshishige Ueda, the chief priest of the Shoin Shrine, and Mr. Masaaki Kawaguchi, the professor of University of Human Environments who edited “Daily Word from Shoin Yoshida”, exchange their views.

*Edo Period …1603-1867

¡ÚConversation¡ÛIf You Live with a Mindset of a Light Illuminating One Corner, Tens of Thousands of Such Lights Can Illuminate throughout Japan

Hidesaburo Kagiyama¡ÊAdviser of YellowHat¡Ë¡¡¡õ¡¡Shuji Takano¡ÊTeacher of Hekinan Aichi Prefectural High School¡Ë

 However, his life was entirely transformed by encountering cleaning*.
He started toilet cleaning at the school by himself alone, but he has overcome the ignorance of others. It has been 10 years since he started the movement, and now it has transformed the students in his classes, and even affecting other schools.
Mr. Takano talks about his cleaning practices with the founder of the cleaning movement, Mr. Hidesaburo Kagiyama.

 *The cleaning movement focused on toilet cleaning has been spreading all over Japan. It is not only about physical cleaning, but is also connected with spiritual cleansing. People can feel their hearts are purified after the cleaning. In addition, many people say that the cleansing has affected their lives quite positively and has brought good luck.

 The monthly “Chichi” is available only in Japanese.For further details regarding the contents of the magazine, please refer to Chichi WEB (Japanese version).

¡ÚInterview¡Û

If You Give Yourself to the Dharma, the Dharma Will Give Itself to You.

¡¡Eido Shimano¡ÊTeacher of New York Dai Bosatsu Zendo¡Ë

On New Year’s Eve of Showa 39 (1964), a young Zen monk, Mr. Eido Shimano, left for New York’s Kennedy Airport with a vow to get Buddha’s teachings across the United States. In the beginning after moving to the United States, when this young Zen monk passionately presented his thoughts, an American said, “There would be no Zen temple in the United States, even if the Hudson River’s water became clear.” It has been 43 years since then, and Mr. Shimano, who has become a matured Roshi (Zen master), has built two Zendos (center for Zen practice) overcoming language and cultural barriers, and teaches Zen to people visiting from all over the world. We will introduce his developments over the past half century, through which he has moved with something to swear to in his life.

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My Passion for the Ultimate Resort and My Life

Tateo Tajima¡ÊProprietor of “Tenku no Mori”¡Ë¡õ Akira Joko¡ÊRepresentative of Kokorozashi Network¡Ë

At a distance of little more than a two hour flight from Tokyo, at Myoken Onsen, where you can enjoy a part of a national park in the Kirishima mountain range, exists “Wasure no Sato Gajoen,” a Japanese hot-spring inn which has reproduced the nostalgic scenery of countryside. Mr. Tateo Tajima, who won the hearts of those who are weary of city life, with abundance of nature and simple hospitality rooted in the community, further cultivated vast mountain forests to establish the ultimate resort, “Tenku no Mori,” which costs 150,000 yen - 200,000 yen per person per night. Mr. Tateo Tajima, who continues to  pursue his dreams, and Mr. Akira Joko, who represents “Seinenjuku” and continues to teach the importance of spirit to youngsters, are both who have lived with something to swear to in their lives, exchange opinions in view of “Japan’s next 100 years.”

¡ÚConversation¡Û

Be a Bird with No Borders

Yo Ishikawa¡ÊMendicant priest¡Ë¡¡¡õ¡¡Mamiko Nishizawa¡ÊDaughter of Mr. Shinmin Sakamura¡Ë

At the end of last year, Mr. Shinmin Sakamura passed away in peace at the age of 96. On his sickbed, he wrote, “Be a bird with no borders” with a calligraphy brush, and prayed for peace and the harmonization of human beings with his last breath. What did this poet, who lived in “Nen*,” have to swear to in his life? Ms. Mamiko Nishizawa, his daughter, and Mr. Yo Ishikawa, who had been under Mr. Sakamura’s tutelage from his early days, talk about Mr. Sakamura’s spiritual-seeker-like life.

*Nen stands for “thought,” “feeling,” “wish” or “desire.” Mr. Sakamura is famous for his word, “Pray, and any flower of yours will come out.” In this sense, the concept of Nen is close to “pray.”