I received a comment asking why I am writing about “water” in this blog and what I would like to tell through it.
This is why…
I wonder if we, Japanese, are asked following questions, how much we can explain ourselves to others.
“What is Japan like as a country?” or “What kind of people are Japanese people?”
According to a national survey last year in Bhutan, 93% of people answered that Bhutan is a country of happiness. This is amazing. People realize the true “affluence” of the country. I would love to visit a country like that. The true national power, I think, lies in people’s mind like the Bhutanese case.
That reminded me of Japan 40-50 years ago when we had something we could proud of to the rest of the world. One is security, and the other is pure water where people can drink the tap water even for free. What happened to them now?
Although it was a tertiary accident, water and air was contaminated by radioactive materials due to the resent earthquake disaster. I am full of pathetic and shameful feeling. I feel that I have to do something as a way of atonement. I have to start in the vanguard of all the human beings. I have a keen desire to deliver messages from Japan with self-reproach in them.
Before that, I realized that it is important that Japanese people reaffirm the following:
“Japan is a land of water”, and Japan has been so blessed with water.
People’s awareness is the most important, like Bhutanese case.
There are many people in the past who have created wonderful impressions to regain Japan as a land of water.
I want to recreate Japan which we proudly present our country to the rest of the world saying “Welcome to Japan: the land of water, where people treat water so mindfully that they regard it as if it is a part of their family.”
This is what I would like to do, and only I can do after having conversation with water for last 30 years.
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| Photo:Yu Nozaki |
