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Being so many miles away from Gloucester city on a rainy Sunday afternoon with the flu in Kitakyushu City, Japan with time to think of my past. I began thinking of when I was a boy in Gloucester and recalling the things that my good friend Eddie Williams had mentioned in one of his most recent letters from his home in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
The things we enjoyed and did back then we can never forget; it was a time when people had time to enjoy and a time when few people had television sets. We enjoyed the donuts at Mosteig's bakery at Brown and Bergen streets, (where my mother worked for many years).
Of church on Sunday mornings. Playing stick ball or tire ball as it was called at the corner of Aukenbaugh grocery store just across the corner from Mosteig's bakery or just lying under the trees along Johnson Blvd. on a hot summer day feeling the summer breezes cooling you.
You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.
It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all...
And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is..the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...
How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?
(MARCH 24, 2007)--I came across this phrase in a book yesterday "FENDER SKIRTS".
A term I haven't heard in a long time and thinkingabout "fender skirts" started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice.
Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. Any kids will probably have to find some elderly person over 50 to explain some of these terms to you.
Remember "Continental kits?" They were rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental.
When did we quit calling them "emergency brakes?" At some point "parking brake" became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went with "emergency brake."
Bob Arum, founder and CEO of Top Rank, waits on stage as Nonito Donaire of the Philippines and Jorge Arce of Mexico have their official weigh-in at the PlazAmericas Mall on December 14, 2012 in Houston, Texas.
Harry Miller Jr., of Kitakyushu City, Japan died August 19, 2012 from lung cancer. He was 75 years old.
A former resident of Gloucester City NJ, Hank was the author of the semi-weekly CNBNEWS column When East Meets West which featured stories about the customs of Japan. He began writing the column for CNBNews in 2007 and continued to write it until two months before he died. He was also the founder of Miller English School of Japan.
English: Image of a net (toami) Tanabata decoration, photographed during the Sendai Tanabata Festival, held at Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. I took this photograph on August 7, 2005. This image is multi licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License and the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. commons:category:Tanabata commons:category:Sendai commons:category:2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Commentary by Hank F. Miller Jr.
cnbnews.net
Tanabata Matsuri is the essence of summer and summer festivals. Held in Japan on either July 7 or August 7, in other Asian countries such as China and South Korea also hold Star Festivals.
The original form of Tanabata derives from Qi Xi, the Chinese Star Festival. Introduced to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto during the Nara Era (eight century), it became a popular event among the general public in the early Edo Period (17th century).
Mixing the old tale of Tanabata assumes as well as various Oban traditions together with the original Chinese festival, it eventually developed into the modern form that we see today,with people writing their wishes on "Tanzania" paper strips to decorate Bamboo trees with them.
These amazing photos of endless flowers are from the Wisteria Tunnel at Kawachi Fuji Gardens, in Kitakyushu, Japan.
Commentary by Hank F. Miller Jr.
(cnbnews.net) A seasonal rain front swept through Okinawa in late May marking the beginning of Japan's rainy season.The first day of rainy season at our home here in Kitakyushu City Japan will begin this week.
May 5 Children’s Day corresponding to the girls day in March to Momi-no-sekku,or Peach Festival for girls on March 3,this day used to be called Tango-no-sekkuor Boy's Festival.After World War II, May 5 was designated as Children’s Day and made a national holiday.This is also known as the "day of the shobu (iris)."Or "Martial Prowess."The Idea being that,when faced with challenging moments,boys will learn to face difficulties in a decisive,manly fashion.
Rites performed on this day are performed with such wishes in mind: Families with sons display warrior dolls that are dressed in battle helmets and armor, and koi nobori (carp streamers)are set to fly on long bamboo poles out of doors in the garden .The carp has the power to fight its way up fast flowing streams and even waterfalls and therefore, represents the courage and strength expected of boys.The carp streamers are beautifully painted with various colors on silk to resemble the carp fish swimming up streams or waterfalls.
In addition, mochi treats such as chimaki steamed rice cakes are (triangular,wrapped in a leaf) and kashiwa (oak leaf) mochi are eaten,rice cakes are stuffed with sweet bean paste.Also iris leaves are put into a hot tub when boys bathe, this special bath is said to be good for the health.This event is called "day of the tango (i.e; boy’s day) because in Chinese words for"five"and"horse"are homophones,and this was originally celebrated on the day of the horse during the first part (tan) of the fifth month.The custom of decorating with chimaki comes from Chinese folk lore.
Warm Regards & Best Wishes from Kitakyushu City,Fukuoka,Japan.
Yet I too am a survivor.True, My challenges list looks like this:
Struggling doggedly with another language and culture,not just for a few weeks, but for every single day of every single year, year-in and year-out...Raising three kids between two lands and a pair of families parted by a wide world of differences and understanding...Sweating through a boiling cost of living that over baked even the smallest of expenditures...Thus perhaps the hardest task of all this is watching other folks in similar situations not being able to survive, but rather pack up everything and head back home.
I am reminded of these old friends every day, for like a true survivor I have their cast-off belongings. I sip coffee from the mug an ex-colleague who is now living on the west coast.
Note: Hank is a former resident of Gloucester City NJ who resides in Kitakyushu City, Japan. category WHEN EAST MEETS WEST
Commentary by Hank F. Miller Jr.
(cnbnews.net)Japan is presently on the highest alert now-code Pink.I'm referring to the cherry blossom season alert.
The blushing blossoms carpet Japan with pink all the way up the Japanese archipelago from Southern Kyushu to Hokkaido.When full pink blossoms are mankai-in full bloom.
Note: Hank is a former resident of Gloucester City who resides in Kitakyushu City, Japan. category WHEN EAST MEETS WEST
The Hina Doll Festival , which is also called the Girls'Festival or Peach Festival, is observed on March 3. This is a festival to wish for the health , growth and happy marriages of young girls. Dolls in ancient costumes are displayed on tiers of shelves covered by bright red cloth. These dolls represent the emperor and empress, their nobie court ladies-in-waiting and ministers.
Setsubun literally means the " division of the seasons" and refers to the first day of spring according to the lunar calendar. Setsubun falls on February 3 or 4.On the evening of this day,people throw roasted beans or peanuts inside or outside the their homes shouting "Oniwa-soto, Fukuwa-uchi,"which means"out with the demons,in with good fortune ."
(cnbnews.net) It is a natural step for parents who have seen their children through age seven to hope their kids grow up to become decent adults.As a result,people in Japan adopted the social custom of expressing gratitude for and celebrating the arrival of maturity in a splendid if solemn ceremony. Such coming of age rituals are still observed today.
The Japanese economic was at it's peak back in 1986. The country was almost as great an economic power as the U.S.A. It's now 25 years later and Japan has changed greatly after experiencing the failure of the bubble economy, the lemon shock and the Great East Japan Earthquake. With the economic success of Asian countries (especially China), the world faces a new age.While corporations from advanced countries have moved their manufacturing overseas,the economies of those nations suffer and unemployment rates have been soaring. Because of this, in place of manufacturing, many nations are seeking fresh sources of income, instead of depending on financial deals. However, as a result many nations including the USA are experiencing the same conditions Japan did after the economic bubble burst.
Shichi-go-san is the name of a traditional festival in Japan which celebrates the growth of children at the ages of three,five and seven. It takes place on the 15th of November each year,and it's common on this day for boys aged three and five and girls aged three and seven to visit a Buddhist shrines, temples or a Christian church often dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono for girls and boys a hakama.
Joseph B. Miller, 21, of Medford, passed away suddenly on October 4, 2011. Mr. Miller died after the car he was riding in struck a deer, followed by several trees. The driver of the car was injured. Mr. Miller was a student at Stockton College. He is the cousin of Hank Miller who writes the CNBNews.net column When East Meets West.
(cnbnews.net)This summer has been hotter and longer than most.But rather than fight it hide indoors in the comfort of air conditioning. Westerners of all ages seem to embrace the summer with a certain zest:tank tops, shorts, sandals, wrinkles,skin cancer. The Japanese on the other hand,do not seem to be suited for heat. I remember as a child in the summertime in Gloucester,City as a boy running in and out of the house all day long in bare feet and no shirt just wearing blue jeans to go outside. Not in Japan. Children are not allowed to go outside without changing from indoor slippers to outdoor footwear, Japanese children are never allowed to go out without a shirt that is forbidden.
You cannot reverse the process either, and simply run into the house from outside, even if you are running from lions.They'd surely catch up with you and swallow you up once you reach the genkan area shoe change.(entrance area where shoes are removed.) Not in Japan. So,why is it that Japanese people change out their shoes when going inside and Westerners don't? Obviously, Japan is a very dirty country. Furthermore, just in case you didn't know,dirt is evil. Scientifically speaking, in much the way heat rises, evil accumulates on the ground. And when you consider that heaven is above,and hell is below,you're really just treading on the surface of hell. So take off those shoes before you walk into a Japanese the house.
This seasonal festival is also known as the"day of double yang."Nine is the largest of the numbers, which,being doubled on this date,makes it an especially auspicious day.Because this is the season when mums are in bloom,they are used for decorations while drinks are being poured.Another ritual associated with this day was the practice of wiping the skin with a piece of cotton cloth dampened by the evening dew taken from the chrysanthemums.These customs,were celebrated up until the middle ages,and thus are not given much attention these days in Japan.In China,however the custom continues to be to climb a hill on the ourskirts of town to have a picnic with family members or with close friends together.The day's signsficance is reflected in a homophonic pair of words kyukyu"nine-nine" and"enduring peace."
(cnbnews.net)This is something we all need to read and apply to ourselves,
One day I decided to quit.... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality..... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God."God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"His answer surprised me..."Look around", He said."Do you see the fern and the bamboo?""Yes", I replied."When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth.Its brilliant green covered the floor.Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo."In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.and again,nothing came from the bamboo seed.But I did not quit on the bamboo".
(cnbnews.net)Since the Japanese Democratic Party came to power in September 2009 the word "chiho bunken" (devolution)has been replaced by the new expression "chiki shuken" (local sovereignty). The government on November 17 that year created the "Local Sovereignty Strategy Council" chaired by the Prime minister ,Naoto Kan.
" Devolution)," which is an antonym of a centralized form of government,means delegating to local governments some of the power and authority now heavily concentrated in the central government ministries and agencies,which are often referred to sa"KIasumigaseki" after the name of the central part of Tokyo, where most of them are headquartered. As a result, perfectural governors must always" read the minds"of Tokyo in making major decisions or implementing important policies.
(cnbnews.net)August 7, 2011-The blast center Hiroshima City. At 25 meters in midair southeast of Shima Hospital at 19 Saikumachi,Cho.The death toll after the explosion, 140,000 people perished.The death toll by the atomic blast at both Hiroshima and Nagasaki has not been confirmed yet.The report to the United Nations Secretary General in 1976 said that the death toll was 140,000 in Hiroshima and 70,000 in Nagasaki.
Letter by Mr.Atarashi Oshima,a Church member on our church in Kuroseki, Kitakyushu City.
At that time I was working in Tabata,Kitakyushu city.I was a skinny kid,but was drafted into the Army Engineering Brigade and sent to Hiroshima,in August 1945.It was a few days just before the bombing.We resided in temporary housing at an elementry school in Gion-machi, Asa-gun.
(cnbnews.net) August 6, 2011-A big old tree stands by the side of a road near the city of Hiroshima.Through the years,it has seen many things.
One summer night the tree heard a lullaby.A mother was singing to her little girl under the tree. They looked happy and the song sounded sweet.But the tree remembered something sad. Yes, It was 66 years ago. I heard a lullaby that night too."
On the morning of that day,a big bomb fell on the city of Hiroshima.Many people lost their lives,and many others were injured.In seconds after the blast people died and many others had burns all over their bodies. I was sad when I saw those people.It was a very hot day.Some of the people fell down near me.I said to them,"Come and rest in my shade.You'll be all right soon."
Note: Hank is a former resident of Gloucester City who resides in Kitakyushu City, Japan. category WHEN EAST MEETS WEST
A series of events called "Oban" is centered on August 13th, to 15th,when Japanese greets their ancesters spirits.Oban is a Buddist festival when the Japanese people welcome and enertain their ancesters spirits who are believed to have returned home to the mortal world.
Oban combines indigenous Japanese religious faith in one's ancesters with Buddhist concepts.
China imposed a widespread ban on coverage of last month's high-speed train crash,forcing newspapers across the country to scrap pages of stories,Hong Kong newspapers reported Sunday. The Sundy Morning Post said that Chinese propaganda authorities issued a censorship order late Friday,banning all coverage of the crash"except positive news or information released by the authorities."The ban came after state media published rare criticism of the government over its responce to the July 23 crash,which killed at least 40,injured almost 200 and called into question the fast expansion of China's high-speed rail network.
A fatal crash on China's high-speed train network could scuttle Beijing's ambitions to sell the technology overseas and could also hit its existing rail exports.Shares in Chinese rail and train builders have fallen sharply since the accident,which killed at least 39 people and injured 200, and raised questions as to the passengers who are still missing after the crash.
PHOTO CHINESE PREMIER WEN JIABAO
Beijing's rush to develop the world's biggest high-speed network.
A Japanese expert who analyzed video footage of Saturday's fatal bullet train accident in China said Sunday it was and accident hard to imagine happening here in Japan,even though one of the trains involved appears to be one modeled on a domestic shinkansen. A Japanese Railway official said shinkansen systems have been equipped with automatic train contol devices since they were inaugurated in 1964 because of the understanding that it would be difficult for the driver to rely on visuual traffic confirmation of the need to apply the brakes on the high-speed service.
China has banned local journalist from investigating the cause of the deadly high-speed train crash that has triggered public outrage and raised questions over safety, reports said Tuesday.
China's propaganda department issued the order Sunday, according to a copy of the directives published by the China Digital Times, a U.S.-based site focusing on web news from China.
Note: Hank is a former resident of Gloucester City who resides in Kitakyushu City, Japan. category WHEN EAST MEETS WEST
Doubts about China's breakneck plans to expand high-rail across the country have been underscored by a bullet train wreck that killed at least 36 people.
Railways Minister Sheng Guangzu has apologized to the victims of Saturday's crash, and their families.
"As I watched on TV the complete broadcast',I noted most for my commentary from many other news sources to bring this news to you first hand that came out of China."The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said two U.S. citizens were among the dead.
A train rammed into the back of another train that was stalled after being hit by lightning in China's deadliest rail accident since 2008.
Socrates said his wisdom flowed from knowing he knew nothing.I can relate.Except in my case, I know almost nothing. Yet I do have one area of expertise from which my own personal wisdom flowed. That being: I am an expert on BS. I write BS. I talk BS. I breathe BS. If there is one thing I know it's BS, I am so full of BS. that I myself doubt most of what I say. So,of course, I am a devoted fan of Japanese BS television. It's all I watch. I know it does not take a Bachelor of Science degree to understand that the acronym BS might have various applications. It can, in the case of Japanese TV, stand for "Broadcasting Satellite."
Photo: The author with his lovely wife, Keiko
But with me such subtleties go out the window the very second the NHK news guy stares into my living room through the tube and solemnly announces...
(CNBNEWS.NET)Many people in the Tokyo Metropolitan area who were living in a high-rise when the March 11 earthquake struct, subsequently decided to move. The problem was not the structural integrity of the building, which was not damaged at all.
photo of high rise buildings in Tokyo Japan
According to a survey by the Condominium Management Companies Association, even high-rises in the Tohoku and Chiba region"performed"excellently.
None collapsed, and only 1.6 percent required"large-scale"repairs.More than 80 percent sustain only slight cosmetic damage or none at all. For the Japanese people the issue was more the matter of quality of life. Elevators automatically shut down during an earthquake and can only be turned on again by a certified technician. It might be days before they are operational again and walking 20, 25, or even 30 flights of stairs or more can be tiring. Also electrical power is lost through either damage or design (planned blackouts), high-rise living is virtually impossible, and not just because the elevators.
Note: Hank is a former resident of Gloucester City who resides in Kitakyushu City, Japan. category WHEN EAST MEETS WEST
Tanabta Matsuri is the essence of summer and of summer festivals. Held in Japan on either July 7 or August 7, Asian countries such as China and South Korea also hold Star festivals. The original form of Tanabata derives from QI Xi,the Chinese Star Festival. Introduced to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto during the Nara Era (eight century), it became a popular event among the general public in the early Edo Period (17th century). Mixing the old tale of Tanabatatsume as well as various Obon traditions together with the original Chinese festival, it eventually developed into the modern form that we see today,with people writing their wishes on"tanzaku"paper strips to decorate bamboo trees with them.
Note: Hank is a former resident of Gloucester City who resides in Kitakyushu City, Japan. category WHEN EAST MEETS WEST
(CNBNEWS.NET)Today, millions of Americans will look to the sky to watch brilliant displays of fireworks in celebration of Independence Day. As they have done every fourth of July for the last 235 years, Americans will take a moment to reflect on what these fireworks represent--the liberty, equality, freedom and democracy that our founders fought so hard for. These principles have since become the cornerstones of American society. For those of us overseas, the Fourth of July takes on even a greater importances we celebrate the values that so strongly define and unite us as Americans,despite being far from our own shores.
(CNBNEWS.NET)During my yearly health check I was diagnosed with aortic valvular stenosis after a heart ultrasound was performed along with several other test on my heart I was admitted to the hospital to prepare for open heart surgery on February 28, 2011 to March 5, 2011. I was released do to having a cold and I also had a slight fever.
Note: Hank, (photo), is a former resident of Gloucester City who resides in Kitakyushu City, Japan.
I kept going to the hospital as an out patient to continue the testing; the tests took about two weeks to complete,during that time the test showed that I had aortic valvular stenosis, valvular heart disease.
The surgery to replace a diseased aortic valve was performed at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health Hospital, only a 15 minute walk from my home. I was admitted to the hospital again on May 10, more test continued and the surgery was planned and scheduled to take place May 13, which happened to be Friday the 13th. Of course it didn't phase me at all, but I did think that this day would be a good luck day instead. I'm not at all superstitious, I'm religious. The surgery was started a 9:00 A.M. and was completed at 5:20 P.M.
The Japan nuclear crisis took an ominous turn yesterday, with officials declaring that the emergency at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was now as severe as the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. According to a report on MSNBC, nuclear regulators in Japan have raised the severity rating from 5 to 7, the highest level on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) scale, after new assessments of radioactive material leaking from the damaged reactors.
The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale defines a Level 7 Accident as a major release of radioactive material with widespread health and environmental effects requiring implementation of planned and extended countermeasures. Chernobyl marks the only other time a nuclear disaster has been declared a Level 7 Accident.
When friends back home contacted me to see if we were OK after the March 11,2011, disaster I told everyone the same thing.
"We're OK.
We live about 1,200 kilometers from the disaster zone.We haven't been affected at all."
PHOTO: HANK MILLER
We didn't feel the earthquake , not even slightly. We have had no blackouts. We continue to have food,water and daily necessities. But of course this is not all true.
The disaster has everyone in Japan, including the people living here in Kitakyushu. People collect food, batteries for flash lights, clothing blankets and money etc. to send to the devastated area.
"What will happen to Japan?" Laments my neighbors and some of my friend, it's a big question here. Some of my neighbors are involved in international tourism and are concerned that foreign tourist won't come back for a very long time.
Japan at this time is preparing for the higest alert code-Pink .I'm referring to the cherry blossom season alert. which takes place each year after a cold winter when the Japanese people welcome the coming of Spring.The blushing blossoms carpet Japan with pink all the way up the Japanese archipelago from Southern Kyushu to Hokkaido.Full pink alert is when cherry blossoms are mankai-in full bloom.
IMAGE: The Fuji Japan Cherry Blossoms
The cherry blossom report is broadcasts on the nightly news during the weather report, cherry blossom reports in Japan are extremely accurate.When reported here in Fukuoka Prefecture the blossom should burst fourth their buds on about March 26, but I believe they have been delayed for about two more days.
The magnitude of Friday's 8.8 earthquake that jolted northeastern Japan was caused by a tectonic upheaval that created offshore faults stretching for hundreds of kilometers from Iwate Prefecture to Ibrakai, seismologist said on Saturday evening. As i watched N H K TV, Satoko Oki of the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute said the massive quake, estimated to be nearly 1,000 times more powerful than the 1995 Great Honshin Earthquake that killed more than 6,000 people, was caused by a rupture near the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. The earthquake was created when the Pacific plate slipped underneath Japan at the Japan Trench, causing a tsunami as high as 10 meters to slam the east coast.
Entire communities destroyed; fires rage out of control.
Earthquake, Tsunami Slams Widespread Areas of Japan...Initial death toll and damage not yet calculated
Commentary by Hank F. Miller Jr.
An earthquake with a historic magnitude of 8.9 struck the Tohoku region friday,registering the highest intensity level of 7on the Japanese seismic scale, in Miyagi Prefecture,the Meteorological Agency said. Miyagi and four other prefectures and many people were reported injured. The quake struck at 2:46 P.M.Many fires were reported at scores of locations in northeastern Japan, as well as a huge refinery inferno in Chiba Prefecture.The quake was felt hundreds of kilometers away, including in Tokyo, where buildings swayed for a long time and people swarmed out of them.
This festival was celebrated in China on the day of the snake in the first part of March, so it was called the"festival of the first snake day"(i.e.,the first of three days of the snake that appear during the month of March).
In Japan,the timing corresponds to the blossoming of peach trees,so the name has come to be known as the"day of the peach." This is the day that girls celebrate the doll festival known as hina matsuri, drinking shirozake (white sake) and eating sweets.
In some regions,dolls made of paper are set adrift in the river to dispel bad luck.
This festival is to wish for good health,growth and happy marriages of young girls. Dolls in ancient costumes are displayed on tiers of shelves covered by a bright red cloth.These dolls represent the emperor and empress,their nobel court ladies-in-waiting and ministers.
The Doll Festival dates back from midieval times,but it was not until the 18th century that the custom of displaying dolls came into fashion.The dolls are usually on display for about a week,but it is customary to put them away soon after March 3 because leaving them out for a long time is said to delay a daughter's marriage.
Japanese can't ever let that happen,"so everyone works feverishly to get them put away as quickly as they can."
Warm Regards and Best Wishes from Kitakyushu City, Japan.
We're all looking forward to the coming spring and much warmer weather. Hank F. Miller Jr.
"This time,like all other times,is a very good one,if we but know what to do with it." Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Here we go again. I read in the newspaper and see on TV, often that "Young people,"Are rapidly becoming stupid."They can't calculate, can't communicate.They have no manners, no ambition, and no interest in anything; no consideration for other people,no knowledge of world affairs.
Image: Hank and Keiko Miller
It is my profession; It has been the focus of my life for 33 years. For this reason,writing about the people of Japan is a pleasure.I would rather write about the Japanese than any other subject.
My views of the Japanese come from years of residence and study in their country.I hope that these views are interesting and revealing.I also hope that they are impartial and correct, after all I can do is offer honest opinions as I see them today. From the media and from my own perspectiveas the director of THE MILLER ENGLISH SCHOOL JAPAN.
On my most recent trip to visit family and friends in Portland, Oregon, an earnest young lady asked,"Don't you think the Japanese people have a unique sense of beauty?"
From her expectant manner it was apparent that her question had been a rhetorical one.
When it came,my answer must have been a disappointment."I'm not at all sure of that,"
Isaid. Her smile faded and two wrinkles made furrows between her eyebrows.
"But you've been living in Japan for 33 years,"She said."Perhaps that's the reason I can't answer your question,"I replied. After six months or a year in Japan, many foreign visitors know all there is to know about the country, and I was no exception. How pleasant it is to understand everything, to be an expert. But as years pass, the facile generalization prove to have too many exceptions, the neat cliches are revealed as trivia,and the onetime expert feels that he knows less than when he first arrived.
The Dragons Tail
Fukuoka Prefecture sits like a fantastically shaped cap on the northern end of the map of Kyushu. Anchored to Honshu by tunnels and the bridge across Kanmon Straits,It is the conduit which trains and trucks and cars.Products and ideas and fashions find their way down from Tokyo into western Japan.Surrounded on three sides by water,it stretches from Buzen in the east on the Inland Sea to Yabe in the south, near the impressive Hyugami-kyo Gorge, to the industrial city of Omuta. North of Omuta,on the Ariake Sea, is Kurume, famous to Japanese for Bridgestone tires and to foreigners for azaleas. On the Sea of Japan, Shikaka Village, near the beautiful Kwya Peninsula, is the westernmost point. Moving east along the coast, the finger on the map stops at Fukuoka City, the political and financial capital, then moves east again to that vast amalgamation of five cities, and my home Kitakyushu,the industrial heart of modern Japan.
Within these boundaries the past, present and future live together. Behind high stone walls ancient gabled houses drowse in mossy gardens next to stark concrete and aluminum buildings as modern as science-fiction films.
At Nagatare Beach,or Waita Beach, under the old pines that stood watching the sea before the first sight of the Mongol invaders seven-hundred years ago,bikini-clad girls drink Coca-Cola and listen to pop-tunes from their transistor radios fill the air.
Thirty years have passed since my first sight of Kitakyushu City. I now realize how many places remain to be seen. During the early years my wife Keiko and I walked all over the city, dashed off into the countryside on most weekends, and snapped hundreds of pictures for remembrance. We visited Hiroadai,near Kitakyushu City,the hillside of white rocks against the green fields look just like grazing sheep,mountains,castles graceful yet arrogant in strength, Museums and at least a hundred temples and shrines are scattered across the city and countryside.
We swam in the beautiful clear green sea and laid on the white sand at Waita beach, searched Shikanoshima's edges for garden path stones for our garden,and sailed a dinghy on Hakata Bay. There is no end to Fukuoka Prefecture's variety. There is so much to see and do living here. It is a great place for our business being the Miller English School Japan and it was a great place to raise three wonderful children, we've been most blessed and extremely happy living here in Kitakyushu City, Japan.
Warm Regards & Best Wishes to you all back in my hometown of Gloucester City ,from Kitakyushu City Japan.
We hope that you had a wonderful holiday Season with your family,and enjoyed every minute of it as we did.
I have been away from the computer due to my health issues and and being very busy.
I probably won't be on the computer so often, but I'll do my best to check ocassionally.
recent photo of Hank Miller
While In Hospital for A Colon Operation More Health Issues Were Found!
As for my open Heart Surgery I'm still awaiting for the doctor to call me and give me the date for admittance.When I do go into the hospital I'll be there from 6 to 10 days for quite a bit of pre operation testing.After my release the doctors will make a planned proceedure for the operation I'll be released and after re-admitted for surgery. After surgery I should be in hospital for about one month. During the Altra Sound Heart Test last week they found that I have Valvular Heart Desease and the valve must be replaced with an implanted valve. The doctor called the decease, Aortic (Valvular) Stenosis.I knew that I have a heart murmer but I never had any problem with that till the doctor found this defect during the Ultra Sound,the doctor said that without this operation that I could live from 2 to 6 years only.
So you see this is a must priority for me. I also have responsibilities to my family, and our new grandson Kenji Michael Miller whom I want to spend bonding time with and enjoy doing many things with.
Please do keep me in your prayers because the power of prayer will be an overwhelming factor for my life line to life and future happiness,fore I'll be in God's hands.
Thank You all Warm Regards from Kitakyushu City, Japan.
Hank , Keiko & The Miller Family
Note: Hank is a former resident of Gloucester City NJ who now resides in Kitakyushu City Japan. He has been writing a column for CNB, called When East Meets West, for several years now.
Good Luck Hank, We are all praying for your recovery.
Setsubun rituals carried out throughout Japan every year around February 3rd. Setsubun is celebrated the day before "risshun,"referring to the start of the spring season.The ritual itself involves scattering roasted beans both inside and outside the house while loudly reciting the words,"Oniwa-soto, "Fukuwa-uchi,"which means"out with the demons!"In with good fortune."Of course,the aim of this ritual is to keep the house safe from harm while inviting good luck to come inside.
This was an overwhelming experience that was a pleasurable instead of a dreary one, I have been admitted to Japanese hospital before several years ago. But this had some pain and unpleasant times as every operation has but it was minor.
On October 9, 2009 I went to hospital for my yearly check one of the procedures was that I see a doctor of Gastroenterology.The doctor explained to Keiko and I regarding the colonoscopy check, procedure to us then he gave us papers with written information regarding the procedure to be used.
He did the colon check and found that I had a polyp and he requested that I return one year later to see if it had grown.
Well I went back after the year and another check was performed and the doctor found that the poylp had spread into three areas of my intestine. An appointment was scheduled for me to be admitted to hospital for the colonoscopy surgery procedure scheduled on January 17. Well the procedure was performed and the polyps were removed and no cancer was found.
We started our Christmas and New Years in Portland we had a wonderful experience first meeting with our son Max's new family. Caitlin his wife and son Kenji Michael Miller our new grandson , Caitlins, mother father and sister.
On December 24, 2009 we met at the Groto.
"The Groto is a place of sollitude, peace and prayer."This beautiful 62 acre Catholic shrine and botanical garden is administered by the order of Friar Servants of Mary. The GROTO offers a spectacular natural gallery of religious art with more than a hundred gracefully scluptured statues and shrines nestled along it's flower-lined pathways,and winding under towering firs. Peaceful reflecting ponds,cliffside vistas and award-winning architecture offer inspiration for all who visit this gallery in the woods. Amide this natural beauty this outdoor Cathedral is such a breath taking experience to behold.
Visitors from many lands find inspiration and peace,just as we all did meeting for the very first time ever, both families were elated and overwhelmed with joy.
What a great place for our first meeting, I must say our daughter Rachel choose this most wonderful place for our meeting.
My dearly beloved brother Joseph Edward Miller Sr. of Gloucester City, departed this earth on November 24 , 2010.
With faith in God, as sure as there is sunshine that follows the summer rain, so to there will be happiness to ease both grief and pain.
photo: Joe and his brother Hank, December 2008 Breakfast Club
As sure as darkness of night gives way to light of day, the problems that preplex your mind with faith will fade away.
As springtime follows winter, and earth is born anew, you'll find that you never walk alone if God is part of you. Rest in peace dear brother Joe . For you'll always be with us in our prayers our hearts and our minds forever.
My brother Joe, he had a kind word for everybody and when you met him he always had a smile on his face. For those who knew him found a good friend in him. We the Miller Family in Japan sadly miss him, but his memory will live on with us forever.
Warm Regards from Kitakyushu City, Japan, to all of our family and friends with lots of love and friendship.
CNBNewsnet is a community news website covering the South Jersey/Philadelphia region with a focus on Gloucester City, Audubon, Brooklawn, Bellmawr, Mount Ephraim, and Westville. The site is updated continuously throughout the week with original stories, photos and calendar listings as well as curated articles of interest from around the web. Every day, we connect our readers to their home towns and to the communities around them by providing:
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by CNBNews Staff
BROOKLAWN, NJ (CNBNewsnet)—The Alice Costello Elementary School (ACES) was one of this year’s winners of the Philadelphia Phillies Phanatic About Reading program. The Phillie Phanatic is the star of children's books and as a result has turned his love of reading into the exciting Phanatic About Reading program presented by Comcast.
Studies have shown that children who are encouraged to read items of their own choosing tend to spend more time reading independently, and as a result, their literacy scores improve. Founded in 2004, the program encourages students to read for a minimum of 15 minutes a day to improve their literacy skills. Each year teachers in the South Jersey and Philadelphia area are encouraged to enroll their classrooms and join the nearly 40,000 students already reading with the Phanatic! (source Phillie Phanatic website)
http://www.gloucestercitynews.net/clearysnotebook/2017/05/phillies-phanatic-visits-alice-costello-school.html#more
Friends and family of Gloucester City native Cpl. Marc Ryan gathered at the Gloucester City v. Penns Grove game Saturday to retire Ryan's jersey after he was killed in Iraq nearly three years ago. (SEPTEMBER 22, 2007)
photos by Bruce Darrow
Our first Memories album was so well received I decided to start a second one. If you have any photos you like to submit to add to any of the albums on our site send them to CNBNewsnet@gmail.com. Please include a brief description and the approximate year the picture was taken.
One of three photo albums containing a variety of new and old photos of various sites in Gloucester City and the surrounding area along with photos of people you might know..
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