It is pouring rain. A typhoon is in the offing. The wind is blowing hard. I am walking to the bus stop.
What did I see along the way?
A campaign truck making the rounds for the party sponsored by the guy who made the remark about what Okinawa really needs is prostitutes to keep the US soldiers from attacking normal citizens, speeding through the puddles, splashing the passerbys, asking for votes for the upcoming Tokyo municipal election.
OK, freedom of speech and all that...
What else did I see?
Pedaling for all she was worth, trying to keep up with the campaign truck, tires barely gripping the slick asphalt, rain and spray in her face is-- who? A young woman running for election to Tokyo's municipal council from that party. (Isshin no Kai)
Maybe I was supposed to see high spirits, but what I actually saw was sheer stupidity. If I were choosing a candidate to vote for, I'd pick one with the sense to come in out of the rain, wouldn't you?
This scene also raised a few questions:
Why are the men inside the truck?
Why is the woman chasing AFTER the truck?
Is this what leadership looks like?
Okinawa Looks Like This
Peaceful: a beautiful place for a walk
自己紹介
- Chura
- Born and raised in the USA (NJ), I’ve spent most of my adult life in Japan. One of my favorite places in Japan is Okinawa. To me, Okinawa is a land of stories and an island of music, magic and mystery. The music is shima-uta, songs sung to the rhythm of a three-stringed lute called a sanshin. The magic is in the colors of land, sea and sky. The mystery? Mystery begins where the line between legend and verifiable human memories begins to blur. I am a member of the Archaeological Institute of America, chapter chief of a sanshin study society, and a founding member of the Marine Culture Research Association of Okinawa.