It's Okay to have only one person

The renowned Japanese critic, the lateKato Shuichi , stated, "It's okay to be alone." -?- This statement does not advocate for the stoic endurance of elderly men's solitary lives. Instead, it highlights the significant impact of having foreign friends in enhancing one's sensitivity towards peace,'' It's Okay to have only one person'',

in Japanese it means also ''being alone.''

This concept might be a tangible manifestation of the peace vision that constitutional scholar Aoi Miho  describes as "going beyond Article 9, transcending nations."

I consider myself somewhat qualified since I have invited Dr. Seoc-Kyun Woo (Co-Representative of the Korean Humanitarian Physicians Association) to give a lecture in Ube and have become acquainted with him for a long time. The interpreter, Ms.Huang, may only have a professional connection there, so it could simply be a one-way communication.

Hence, I believe that providing opportunities to individuals in my surroundings who lack such chances is a form of my servant leadership, albeit in a limited capacity.

For example, by continuing the book club of Han Kang, the preeminent female novelist in Korea, and eventually reaching a joint reading session with corresponding groups in Korea.

Listening to the Lecture by Miho Aoi

In the midst of work, I listened to a lecture by Miho Aoi、aconstitutional scholar. It had almost the same content as the May issue of the magazine "Sekai" (Iwanami Shoten).

The amendment to the security legislation, which allows for the exercise of force (collective self-defense) in situations of 'existential crisis', has deprived the nation of a clear recognition of "attacks on our country."

Since then, the government's interpretation of the constitution has lost any basis or reference point.

At the same time, it has become evident that the government considers the involvement and deaths of citizens as 'collateral damage 'in the event of a counterattack by the enemy.

Remembering and Reflecting

On a Saturday afternoon（July 1st), while diligently working on notations for stacked receipts of Health Insurance, heavy rain caused a transportation disruption. The next on-call doctor who was supposed to come from afar couldn't make it in time, so I had to fill in for a while. Today was supposed to be sunny, but the rain has intensified once again.

During that time, I received a long-awaited call from my cousin. He said, "Today is the third anniversary of your father's passing."  The heavy rain from last night had completely slipped my mind. It was two years ago on this very day that I witnessed his last moments as his attending physician.

We held the funeral with just my son and me, but it feels like a distant memory. My father was a Shinto priest, but he liked to

be buried in the family grave of the Jodo Shinshu sect. Yet, we still haven't been able to make arrangements for the gathering of relatives for the interment.

My cousin, who grew up in the snowy mountains of western Chugoku japan, has a different passion for skiing compared to me. He even obtained a ski instructor certification, which recently led him to move to Azumino in Nagano.

As he reminisced about me, he also mentioned his older brother, who passed away at the same age as me. He added, "We probably won't see each other again, but take care." While it's true that we won't meet at each other's funerals, it was a rather premature greeting.

I naturally recalled the passing of another cousin who didn't inform us about his illness until the end.He passed in the last month.

A Call for Dissent: Asahi Shimbun, July 1st

In an article published in the Asahi Shimbun on July 1st, titled "A Call for Dissent," Keishi Saeki (Kyoto University), a prominent figure among Japanese communitarians, expressed his view that "Hosting the G7 in Hiroshima and inviting Zelensky to participate signifies a declaration of hostility towards Russia through nuclear means." In other words, it is an appeal to add the same destruction inflicted on Hiroshima1945 to Russian cities.

Considering that the United States, which approves of the atomic bombings as a means to end World War II, is behind this decision, it is only natural to interpret it in this way. It is likely that the same logic is believed to be effective in dealing with Russia.

According to Saeki, Hiroshima has been dragged down from being a symbol of peace and has now become a place for declaring a commitment to the use of nuclear weapons.

Saeki suggests that Japan's traditions may hold the key to breaking free from the military confrontation between American domination and the Russo-Chinese alliance. However, the desired outcome may be right, but the desired path differs.

We must not turn away from the challenging path of a peace plan based on transnational citizen solidarity, as there is no longer any reliance on nation-states alone.