Work day in the Golden Week!

タイトル：ゴールデンウィークの勤務日

It was the first day of this spring Central Tokyo marked an over 25 degrees "summer day".
But I was working inside my office in the headquarters all day, and without any windows to look out, the gleaming sun had nothing to do with me today.

taking out a notebook computer I haven't been using and restoring it... the XP upgrading is a real pain in the neck!

The day was over so quickly. Only six more days of a mere golden week!

この春初めて、都心で２５度以上の「夏日」を記録した。
でも本部の職場の屋内で一日中働いていた。外を見る窓もなく、きょうは強い日射しも俺には関係なかった。
写真：使ってないノートパソコンを取り出して復元してた…ＸＰへのアップグレードが骨折りな作業なんだよ！
１日があっと言う間に過ぎた。
ちょこっとのゴールデンウィークもあと６日しかない！

A complete day off!

タイトル：完全休養日！

I went to Fuchu to meet two colleagues from different parts of Japan along with my elder colleague to enjoy horse racing together.

We were at Tokyo, but the big one was raced at Kyoto.
the winner was Meisho Samson, the double crown horse of last year!
this year's Emperor's Cup (Spring) was probably not at a superior level, and the one with the best record prevailed!

先輩と一緒に、全国の別々の場所から来た２人の同僚と会うために府中に行って、一緒に競馬を楽しんだ。
東京にいたが、おっきなレースは京都で開催されていた。
勝者はメイショウサムソン、去年の２冠馬！
今年の天皇賞（春）は最高級では無かったために、最も実績がある者が優ったということのようだ！

At night I went to have a pleasant shabu-shabu dinner at Ikebukuro.
A very nice day... a complete day off! I have to go to work tomorrow... am I refreshed enough!?

夜には池袋で美味しいしゃぶしゃぶの晩御飯を。
今日はとっても良い日だった…そして完全休養日だった！明日は仕事に行かないと…十分リフレッシュできたかな！？

Deep into the night, I watched the recorded broadcast of Game 3 between the Mavs and Warriors.

the Warriors win! a 2-1 lead against a 67-15 team!? wow!!

This home team for the Bay Area residents back in California had been running through a long tunnel... 4741 days since the last home game in the playoffs! And Don Nelson was their head coach back then with Chris Mullin and Avery Johnson in the team along with Latrell Sprewell and Chris Webber (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/21/SPGLTPD5RE1.DTL).
Oh my brother loved this team back in the 1993-94 season!

深夜まで、マブス対ウォリアーズの第３戦の録画放送を見ていた。
写真：ウォリアーズが勝った！６７勝１５敗のチームに２勝１敗の勝ち越しだ！？すごい！！
カリフォルニアのベイエリア住人にとっての地元チームは長いトンネルを走ってきた…プレイオフに出るのは４７４１日ぶり！そして当時はドン・ネルソンがヘッドコーチだった。チームにはクリス・マリンとエーヴリー・ジョンソンに加えてラトレル・スプリーウェルとクリス・ウェバーがいた（英語のURL）。
この１９９３－９４シーズンのチームは俺の弟が大好きだったっけな！

A slow and wild start...

タイトル：ゆっくりと荒れた始まり…

I didn't see so many people riding the train in the morning, as the Yamanote Line was not at all packed at around 9AM.

Still, it was a working morning for me as I went on location around the Ohta Ward.

hanging around the Tokyu Ikegami Line...

I went to my office at the headquarters to finish off some work. Meanwhile the weather went wild and crazy outside.

Oh well... a slow and wild start of the Golden Week... I'm finally going to take a day off tomorrow!

朝にあんまりたくさんの人は電車に乗ってなかった。午前９時頃に山手線も混んでなかったし。
でも、自分にとっては仕事の朝で、大田区周辺でロケに行った。
写真：東急池上線でぶらぶらして…
ちょこっと仕事を片付けるために本部の職場に行った。外では天気が大荒れで狂ったようになっていた。
ああ、まぁ…ゴールデンウィークはゆっくりとだけど大荒れの始まりとなったね…明日はようやく１日休めるよ！

The end and the beginning...

タイトル：始まりと終わり…

The last day before the "Golden Week", but still, like always, it was just another busy day.

The top news of the day...

Supreme Court rejects the right of Chinese individuals to seek war reparation...

It marks the end of the "war reparations" lawsuits, as it will be practically be impossible to request any reparations to anyone in this nation with this ruling.
It will then be the beginning of how we can redress the damages of the lives our nation has infringed on, not politically, but privately, which will be quite a challenging task.

「ゴールデンウィーク」前の最後の日だが、結局は、またいつものように、単に忙しい日に過ぎなかった。
今日のトップニュースは…
写真：最高裁が中国人たちが求めた戦後補償の請求権を棄却した…

これで「戦後補償」裁判に終わりが告げられた。この判断で、この国でもう誰も補償を求めることは事実上できなくなった。
そうすると私たちの国が侵害した数々の人命の被害をどう補償していくのかということについての始まりということにもなる。政治的ではなく、民事的にというのは、結構努力が必要な作業なんじゃないか。

Quiet but critical...

タイトル：静かだが重大な…

It was an awfully critical day for me, while it didn't look so from the exterior.

Yeah, it was a very quiet day, starting out mildly and pleasantly... but it rained suddenly and became cold and windy at night...
And still it was a critical day for me. And maybe the weather today was foreshadowing the outcome of the coming years.
Well, honestly, I hope not...

No time to eat a decent supper again...

eating instant noodles!

今日は自分にとってひどく重大な日だった。外から見ててもそうは見えないだろうけど。
そうだね。とっても静かな日だった。のんびり良い感じで始まって…でも夜には突然雨が降って冷えて風が強くなった…。
そしてとにかく自分にとって重大な日だった。次の数年後にどうなっているか、今日の天気がその前兆なのかも知れない。
まぁ、正直言うと、そうじゃないことを祈るけど…。

またちゃんとした晩飯を食べる時間が無くて…
写真：カップ麺食べて！

(today's term)
foreshadow　（将来の事などを）あらかじめ示す、
　　　　　　　（…の）前兆となる
高校時代に映画などについて勉強する
"Film as Literature"（文学としての映画）っていう
授業を履修してたんですが、映画をひたすら観て、
その感想などをエッセーにして出すことを繰り返す
授業だったんですが、ヒッチコックやら
７０年代の名作やらを観て
映画で使われる技法について学ぶんですね。
文学でも構成上、同じような技法が使われるんですが、
その一つとして学んだのが"foreshadowing"でした。
映画では、先々のことを予感させるシーンなどが
盛り込まれることが多いと。それは文学でも一緒で、
このことを学んでからはどんな映画も本も、
些細なことも読み飛ばしたり、
見逃したりしないようにするようになった。
結局"foreshadowing"が使われてなくても、
本や映画にある仕掛けってのが面白くなった。
しかし、エッセーを書いてるとは言え、
映画を観てliterature（文学）の単位をもらえるんだから
アメリカの授業っておもろいなとも思った貴重な経験だ。

Never the same...

タイトル：二度と戻らない…

Like years ago...
The train ran through the same track.
But it's never the same as years ago.

all we can do is mourn for the dead and hope that the family of the deceased be cured of mental distress...
(photo by Jiji)

(article from Kyodo)
◆Man given death in rare ruling over murder of 1 person
TOKYO, April 25 KYODO
The Tokyo High Court sentenced a 66-year-old man to death Wednesday for fatally shooting another man in Yokohama in May 2004 and injuring another through a shooting in Tokyo about a month later.
Japanese courts rarely give the death penalty to someone with no previous murder convictions.
==Kyodo

At the court, a not guilty sentence yesterday, but a death penalty today...

I have so many things that frustrated me today, but drinking with freshmen helped me to refresh a litlle.

何年か前には…。
電車は同じ線路の上を走って行った。
でも何年か前に二度と戻ることはない。
写真：できことは亡くなった人の冥福を祈って遺族の精神的苦痛が癒されるのを祈るだけ…
（写真は時事）

（共同の記事、和訳は略：一人の殺人で珍しく死刑判決が言い渡された判決について）

法廷では昨日は無罪判決だったが、きょうは死刑判決だった…
今日はたくさんのことに失望したが、新人と飲んで少しリフレッシュできた。

Partially but critically acquitted...

タイトル：一部だが決定的に無罪…

I was banged on the head when the presiding judge started...
"And about the indictment on April 24th, 2001 about Kidnapping for Forcible Indecency, Quasi Rape Causing Death, Destruciton and Abandonment of Corpses:
THE ACCUSED IS NOT GUILTY!"

The indictment that was done on April 24th of 2001 was about the all but famous "Lucy Blackman Case" that caught quite a bit of attention 6-7 years ago.

It was my first year here in Tokyo, and I walked around Roppongi for more than a month to cover the story.

It's one of those days I'd rather forget about.

my memories refreshed by this surprising decision with a partial but critical acquittal sentencing!

With this decision given out at 10AM, it became a really long and busy day.
The accused was sentenced to life anyways... And only the media were hyped up with the outcome...

頭をガツンと殴られた気がしたよ。裁判長がこう話し始めたときは…
「そして平成１３年４月２４日付け起訴事実のわいせつ誘拐、準強姦致死、死体損壊については、被告人は無罪！」

平成１３年４月２４日に起訴されたのは６、７年前に結構注目を浴びた有名以外の何物でも無い「ルーシー・ブラックマン事件」。

そのとき東京に来て１年目だったが、取材するために１か月以上も六本木をうろうろしたもんだ。

どっちかと言えば忘れたい日々だ。

写真：一部ではあるが決定的な無罪のびっくり判決で色々な思い出が呼び起こされ！

午前１０時に出されたこの判断で、かなり長く忙しい日になった。
どちらにしろ、被告は無期懲役を言い渡されたんだ…メディアだけが結果に大盛り上がりになってたよ…。

（以下に共同とＢＢＣの記事。和訳は略）

(ariticle from Kyodo)
◆Obara acquitted over Blackman's death, gets life for 9 other cases
TOKYO, April 24 KYODO
The Tokyo District Court sentenced Joji Obara to life in prison Tuesday for raping and drugging nine women, one fatally, but acquitted him of all charges involving the death of Briton Lucie Blackman due to lack of evidence.
The court handed Obara, 54, the life sentence -- as sought by the prosecution -- in the cases of five foreign and four Japanese women, of whom Australian Carita Ridgway died and two others were injured.
But the Tokyo businessman was found not guilty of the charges relating to Blackman, who was 21 at the time of her death in 2000, which included raping and fatally drugging her, and mutilating and abandoning her body.
Obara appealed the life sentence to a higher court shortly after the ruling was handed down.
Presiding Judge Tsutomu Tochigi said of the dismembering and abandonment of Blackman's body, ''There is no doubt (Obara) was involved in one way or another, but there is no evidence to link the defendant directly to the crime.''
''But the possibility that the act may have been committed by a third person cannot be denied and the purpose of dismembering (the body) has not been explained, so there remains reasonable doubt in terms of recognizing it as the defendant's crime,'' he said in handing down the ruling.
On the charge of raping Blackman resulting in her death, Tochigi said that, unlike with the other victims, there is no video recording of the rape and no evidence to prove that the defendant administered any drugs to her or assaulted her.
Although the judge said there is suspicion that Obara may have been involved in Blackman's death and that there are similarities between her case and the other women's, he said the court cannot determine he raped her based on supposition as long as the cause of her death is unknown.
Regarding the nine other cases, the judge described them as ''abnormal crimes involving unilaterally assaulting victims whose consciousness had been impaired due to drugs.''
According to the ruling, Obara brought the nine women to his condominium in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, between February 1992 and June 2000, and raped them after drugging them using chloroform and other drugs.
Obara pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in all 10 cases in the course of the trial, which lasted about six-and-a-half years.
On Blackman's case, the center of attention in the trial, the indictment said Obara made her drink a beverage laced with a drug before raping her at his condominium in July 2000. She subsequently died, and Obara was accused of dismembering her corpse and abandoning it in a beachside cave nearby.
The dismembered body of Blackman, who worked as a hostess in Tokyo before she went missing in early July 2000 -- about two months after arriving in Japan -- was found in the cave in Miura, Kanagawa Prefecture, in February 2001.
Obara, who had already been arrested over the cases involving other women, was served a sixth fresh arrest warrant in April 2001 over the case involving Blackman and indicted based on the fact that his mobile phone call records matched Blackman's movements and that he was suspected of committing similar crimes.
In April 2006, Blackman's parents testified in court, calling for the ''maximum penalty'' for Obara.
Blackman's father Tim, 53, and sister Sophie, 26, who were in the courtroom to hear the ruling Tuesday, later told a press conference in Tokyo they were satisfied that Obara was sentenced to life imprisonment, the maximum penalty possible in the cases.
But they also expressed disappointment that the defendant was found not guilty over Lucie's death and that they discovered later that the prosecution had not put forward in the trial a key piece of evidence related to the case.
''I think our whole family who were in the courtroom today felt an immediate rush of elation,'' Tim Blackman said. ''We thought, 'Fantastic. That is a real wonderful result.' And then suddenly within three or four seconds, our balloon was burst when we found that the prosecution had failed to prosecute justice for Lucie.''
He said he was all the more upset to find out in the course of a meeting with the prosecution team following the ruling that certain evidence, which he declined to elaborate on at this stage, was not presented in the trial.
The prosecutors had said in their closing statement that the defendant committed ''bizarre acts unprecedented in the history of sexual crimes.''
Obara's lawyers argued, however, that there is no decisive evidence to implicate him in Blackman's death, saying his DNA was not detected on the woman's body and that the cause of her death has not been determined.
Concerning Ridgway, the defense team said there is no proof that her death was caused by drugs, but Tochigi said she suffered fulminant hepatitis as a result of the use of chloroform and subsequently died.
Ridgway died Feb. 29, 1992, at age 21 at a Tokyo hospital about two weeks after she was drugged and raped by Obara.
The Australian victim's family released a statement Tuesday afternoon as they met reporters in Tokyo stating, ''The sentence handed down by the court ensures that Obara will never be allowed to harm others. This, in itself, is of some comfort to Carita's family.''
The statement, read out by Ridgway's mother, Annette Foster, 58, alleged that the Japanese police did not adequately investigate Obara over the Australian's death.
''Carita's family do not understand how, despite their concerns raised with the police about Obara's involvement with Carita's death, that the police did not even interview Obara in 1992,'' the statement said.
''Carita's family firmly believe that if Obara had been interviewed and properly investigated in 1992, he would have been stopped at that time,'' it said.
==Kyodo

(article from BBC)
Man cleared over death of Lucie
A 54-year-old Japanese businessman has been cleared of raping and killing British bar hostess Lucie Blackman.
But Joji Obara was jailed for life for raping nine other women, including one - Australian Carita Ridgway - who died.
The judge said there was no proof Obara alone was responsible for the death of Miss Blackman, 21, of Sevenoaks, Kent, who disappeared in Tokyo in July 2000.
Lucie's mother, Jane Steare, said: "I'm heartbroken. I just can't believe this. My worst fears have come true."
Miss Blackman was working in a Tokyo bar when she vanished.
Her dismembered body was found in a cave near Obara's home in the village of Miura in February 2001.
Miss Blackman's father, Tim Blackman, and her sister Sophie, were in court to hear the verdict. They immediately left to consult their lawyers and have not yet commented on Obara's acquittal.
BBC Tokyo correspondent Chris Hogg said that under Japanese law the Blackman family themselves have no grounds to appeal against the court's decision.
They could try to mount a form of civil action but as Obara has been declared bankrupt there would seem to be little point.
Our correspondent said Obara showed little emotion as the judge told him he would be sentenced to life in prison for killing Carita Ridgway in 1992 and eight other rapes.
Obara lured Miss Ridgway to his apartment just south of Tokyo, where he drugged her and raped her. She later died in hospital of liver failure.

Videotapes found
A video seized from his home showed him attacking Miss Ridgway and using a towel soaked with chloroform to keep her unconscious.
Miss Ridgway's mother, Annette Foster, welcomed the conviction but criticised the Japanese police.
"If Obara had been investigated in 1992, it would have stopped the crimes he committed for the next eight years," she said.
Obara admitted he had been with Miss Blackman on the day she disappeared but claimed she became unwell at his apartment after taking drugs.
He said he then called an acquaintance, known by the nickname Kacchan, and asked him to take her back to Tokyo. Kacchan has since died which meant his story could not be challenged.
Judge Tsutomu Tochigi said: "There is nothing to prove that [Obara] was involved in the rape and her death. The court cannot prove he was single-handedly involved in her death."
The judge said it was clear the victim and the accused were together before she vanished and then died but he said this was not enough to secure a conviction.

Planning to appeal
Obara's lawyer, Yasuo Shionoya, said his client would lodge an appeal against his conviction in the Carita Ridgway case.
"Regarding Carita's case, I think we will have to file an appeal. It's very plausible that we would file an appeal in the other cases as well," said Mr Shionoya.
The judge said Ms Ridgway, who died of hepatitis at a Tokyo hospital in February 1992, had been drugged with chloroform by Obara.
But Mr Shionoya said: "I doubt whether liver failure could have been triggered by the use of chloroform."
Obara was arrested on charges of rape resulting in the death of Ms Blackman in 2001 and had been on trial at Tokyo District Court since 2003.
Mr Blackman, from the Isle of Wight, spent thousands of pounds travelling to Japan to try to get the local police to investigate his daughter's disappearance as a suspected crime.
Eventually, after he enlisted the support of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Japanese counterpart, the police arrested Obara, a property developer who had a seaside home at Miura, outside Tokyo.
Last year Mr Blackman accepted 100 million yen (￡450,000) from a friend of Obara, but he denied it was "blood money" and said such "offers of condolence" were common in Japan and did not affect the court case.

TIMELINE
1 Jul 2000: Lucie Blackman vanishes in Tokyo
21 Jul 2000: Tony Blair meets Lucie's parents and promises to raise their daughter's disappearance with Japan's PM
11 Oct 2000: Japanese police arrest and question Joji Obara, who is in custody in connection with several other rapes
9 Feb 2001: Police find Miss Blackman's body parts in a cave at Miura, near Tokyo.
27 Nov 2003: Obara goes on trial in Tokyo
24 Apr 2007: Obara acquitted of killing Miss Blackman
Last Updated: Tuesday, 24 April 2007, 11:09 GMT 12:09 UK

Just about tardy...

タイトル：やや遅刻…

I woke up late, and I almost couldn't make it on time to work.
Another low-spirited Monday...
As I took a glance at the weekly magazines...

I found this yes and no check list on the "Weekly Post"

"Hitting the explosion point of stress! 10 dangerous signals check list"
1) Most of the time, finishing off lunch with canned coffee, vegetable juice, or supplements.
2) Bathing or shaving every day becomes troublesome. Won't change shirts every day.
3) Though not so busy, mail from customers are not returned before the day is over.
4) Saying "I want to resign" or "I probably won't be around next year" in a jokingly fashion.
5) Going to a drinking party with colleagues less than once every three times when invited by an elder or younger colleague.
6) Being tardy many times on Monday morning, and low-spirited even if you get to the office.
7) Recently, your desk has gotten remarkably messy. Unnecessary things are left on the desk.
8) Having a day when you don't exchange words with bosses or colleagues outside of work.
9) Having more than three days with less than four hours of sleep.
10) Suddenly, overtime work and working on a holidays have increased.
(Supervised by councilor of Japanese Society of Mood Disorders, Ritsuko Yamaguchi. Caution needed with YES on 3 to 4 items. You should consult at once with a psychiatrist or your family doctor with more than five items. )

Let's see... hmm...

YES: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8
Maybe YES: 3, 6, 9, 10
NO WAY: N/A

Uh oh... I'm in trouble!

遅くに目が覚めて、もう少しで仕事に間に合わないところだった。
また気合いが入らない月曜日…
週刊誌に目を通していたら…
この○×チェック表を「週刊ポスト」で見つけた

「ストレス爆発直前！危ないシグナル１０」
①昼食は缶コーヒー・野菜ジュースや栄養補助食品ですますことが多い。
②毎日の入浴やひげそりが面倒になる。シャツを毎日着替えない。
③忙しいわけでもないのに、取引先からのメールをその日のうちに返さない。
④冗談めかして「辞めたい」「来年はもういないかも」という。
⑤上司や部下に誘われても、会社の飲み会に顔を出すのは３回に１度以下。
⑥月曜日の朝に遅刻が多く、会社に行っても元気がない。
⑦最近、目に見えて机の上が汚くなった。仕事に不要なものが放置してある。
⑧仕事以外で上司や同僚と１度も会話を交わさない日がある。
⑨睡眠４時間未満の日が週３日以上ある。
⑩急に残業や休日出勤が多くなった。
（日本うつ病学会評議員・山口律子氏監修。YESが３～４項目の場合は要注意。
５項目以上はすぐに精神科医やかかりつけの医師に相談して頂きたい。）

さてどうかな…ふむ…

はい：①、②、④、⑤、⑦、⑧
たぶん、はい：③、⑥、⑨、⑩
絶対違う：無し

あらら…結構ヤバい！

Nakamuuuuura!

ナカムーーーーラ！

Dilemmatic...

タイトル：ジレンマな…

Yes, I was tired...

After returning home last night, working till 2AM, I went to bed at around 5AM.

After waking up at around 2PM, I headed to my office to clean up some boring business.

Without having lunch, one of my bosses detected my misery and gave me some food to eat...

oh, I haven't had these for years! fried chicken and fish!

At night, I went out to drink at Gotanda.
It's always nice to talk professionally, but using a precious Sunday is always dilemmatic!

そう、疲れてたさ…。
昨夜、午前２時まで仕事して帰宅した後、朝の５時頃に寝た。
午後２時頃に起きて、つまらん仕事を片付けるために職場に向かった。
昼飯も食べずにやってたら、俺の惨めさに気付いた上司の一人が食べるものをくれた…
写真：ああ、こういうのは何年も食べてないね！フライドチキン＆フィッシュ！
夜には、五反田に飲みに出た。
専門家と話すのはいつも楽しいが、貴重な日曜を使うのはいつもジレンマな感じ！

P.S.
with work to finish, I couldn't visit Fuchu to watch...

the Jockey Masters' race!
a rare exhibition race by retired jockeys who had won the Derby and Oaks in the past!

追伸
仕事が残ってたんで、府中に行って見ることができなかった…
ジョッキーマスターズレース！
過去にダービーやオークスに勝ったことがある引退ジョッキーたちが珍しいエキシビション競争を！

A short Saturday...

タイトル：短い土曜日…

I was practically dead today. That's it... dead...

I finally was able to get to work at 8PM.
But I made slow progress... very very slow progress...
My enthusiasm is burning out, and I have no idea where to start.
Maybe the problem is that I can't find out what went wrong.
Without a clue, I have to think about my plans to make a change...
At age 34, I think the deadline is less than two years for me to decide!

P.S.
I woke up early in the morning to eat...

sushi I took home last night...
it's great that it's a Saturday, but it was such a short Saturday...

きょうはほぼ死亡状態。それだけ…死んでた…。
夜８時になってようやく仕事をしに出た。
でも仕事が進まない…ものすごく進まない…
自分の熱意は燃え尽きているし、どこから始めれば良いのかも分からない。
どこでどうおかしくなったのか分からないのが問題なのかも知れない。
ヒントさえなく、何かを変えるための計画を考えないといけない…。
３４歳になって、どうするか決断する期限は２年を切ってると思う！
追伸
朝かなり早く起きた。これを食べるために…
写真：昨夜持ち帰ったお寿司…
土曜日で良かったきょうはほぼ死亡状態。それだけ…死んでた…。
夜８時になってようやく仕事をしに出た。
でも仕事が進まない…ものすごく進まない…
自分の熱意は燃え尽きているし、どこから始めれば良いのかも分からない。
どこでどうおかしくなったのか分からないのが問題なのかも知れない。
ヒントさえなく、何かを変えるための計画を考えないといけない…。
３４歳になって、どうするか決断する期限は２年を切ってると思う！

追伸
朝かなり早く起きた。これを食べるために…
写真：昨夜持ち帰ったお寿司…
土曜日で良かったよ、でもすごい短い土曜日だったな…

Another wild day...

タイトル：またトチ狂った日…

For me, it was just another busy day at the press club, being fed up with trifling matters I was told to cover.
For my colleagues at the Current Affairs Division, it surely was a wild day!

In the morning, a tsunami alert was issued in the southwestern islands, and in the afternoon...
Another crime with gunfires!

(photo by Jiji, article from Kyodo)
◆ Man fires 9 shots from apartment after shooting gangster to death
TOKYO, April 20 KYODO
A man armed with a handgun locked himself in an apartment room in suburban Tokyo and fired nine shots out of a window noon Friday, apparently after shooting a gangster to death several kilometers away in Kanagawa Prefecture across the prefectural border, police said.
One of the shots hit a police patrol car which rushed to the apartment in the city of Machida, around 30 km southwest of central Tokyo. No one has been hurt so far and no hostages appear to have been taken, the police said.

I had no time to spare to leave the press club, just hoping my distinguished colleagues will do fine at the crime scene!

俺にとってはまた記者クラブで忙しい日に過ぎなかった。しょーもない取材でくたくたになりながら。
社会部の同僚たちにとっては間違いなくトチ狂った日だったろう！
朝に南西諸島で津波注意報が出され、午後には…
また銃を使った犯罪だ！
（写真は時事、記事は共同、和訳は略：銃を持った男が暴力団員を殺害した後、町田市で銃を９発発射し、その後もアパートに立てこもったままという記事）

記者クラブを離れる時間はなかったんで、とにかく優秀な同僚たちが現場できっちり仕事をこなすことを祈ってた。

Negotiations continue...

タイトル：交渉は続く…

The holiday season is arriving, as the so called "Golden Week" is coming soon.
But I don't know if I can take days off because I'm in charge of a lawsuit that is right in the middle of crucial negotiations.

the plaintiff of the Tokyo Air Pollution Lawsuit visited the prime minister's official residence today to demand cooperation to reach a settlement

連休シーズンが近づいている。いわゆる「ゴールデンウイーク」がまもなくやってくるのだ。
でも休めるかどうかはよく分からない。重要な交渉の真っ只中にいる裁判を担当しているからだ。
写真：東京大気汚染訴訟の原告団が首相官邸をきょう訪れて和解に向けた狭量を要請した

P.S.
I think I had too much shochu last night, as my head ached more than ever again.
And in the afternoon, I got a periodic medical check-up today, and I was told that I have a high blood pressure... no wonder with so many stress at work!

追伸
昨夜焼酎を飲み過ぎたかも知れない。いつも以上に頭が痛かった。
きょう午後には健康診断を受けたが、血圧が高いと言われてしまった…仕事でこれだけストレスがあったら不思議なことじゃないが！

Day to mourn...

タイトル：哀悼の日…

Murder is never a rational crime.

Taking away lives is much more than some spilt milk story, as it will never be the same as before...

the Nagasaki City Mayor was energetic as always till this moment...
the students at Virginia were promising till this moment...
(pic from Jiji)

May their soul rest in peace...

殺人は理性がある犯罪とは絶対に言えない。
命を奪うことは、牛乳をこぼす話と比べようもなく、元通りに戻すことが不可能なものだ…
写真：長崎市長はこの瞬間までいつもと同じように活気に満ちあふれていた…
バージニアの学生たちもこの瞬間まで未来に満ちあふれていた…
（写真は時事より）

ご冥福を祈ります…

Glued to the TV...

タイトル：テレビに釘付け…

I had to clean up a lot more tonight, but I couldn't.
If the massacre at Virginia Tech had been the top news as expected, I would have concentrated on my work, but...

shocking news of the night: the Nagasaki City mayor shot and severely wounded!

I was glued to the television, as all the news programs had this story on the top. I was rather a one of the audience rather than the member of the broadcasting team tonight!

And without finishing any of the things I had to, I have a pile of work waiting for me tomorrow!

今夜もっと片付けなきゃいけなかったのに、無理だった。
予定通りバージニア工科大の大量殺人がトップニュースだったんなら、仕事に集中できたかもしれないけど…
写真：夜の衝撃的なニュース：長崎市長が撃たれて、重態に！
テレビに釘付けになった。すべてのニュース番組がこの事件をトップニュースにしていた。今夜は放送する側というより、視聴者の一人として見ていたよ！
やらなきゃいけないことが全く終わらず、明日山積みになった仕事が待っているよ！

（共同の記事、以下に。和訳は略）

(news from Kyodo)

◆Nagasaki Mayor Ito shot, still in critical condition
NAGASAKI, April 18 KYODO
Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito was shot twice by a gunman Tuesday evening in front of JR Nagasaki Station and is in a life-threatening condition, an incident that has shocked citizens in the city where Ito's predecessor was also seriously injured by a gunman in 1990, and outraged government leaders.
It is not known whether Tuesday's incident in the western Japan city, which suffered a U.S. atomic bomb attack in 1945, was for political motives against Ito who has been working for the abolition of nuclear arms and helping atomic-bomb victims.
The alleged shooter, Tetsuya Shiroo, 59, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder after being subdued by staff members of Ito's office when he tried to run away, the police said. The suspect is an acting leader of the Suishin-kai gang group affiliated with Japan's largest organized crime syndicate, the Yamaguchi-gumi.
Shiroo admitted to shooting the 61-year-old mayor and said he had trouble with the city office over public works biddings, the police said, adding they seized a revolver.
''I fired several shots for the purpose of killing Mayor Ito,'' the suspect was quoted as telling the police.
Meanwhile, broadcaster TV Asahi Corp. said in a program that it has received a postal mail bearing Shiroo's name which reads, ''I cannot forgive Mayor Itcho Ito.''
The mail also referred to matters including trouble with the city office over public works biddings, according to the report by the Tokyo-based TV network.
People close to the suspects said Shiroo made complaints to the city government in 2003 over an accident in which part of his vehicle fell into a hole at a construction site of the project ordered by the city.
The attack prompted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other lawmakers both in ruling and opposition camps to voice their anger and call for a thorough investigation.
''I want the investigating authorities to conduct a rigorous probe and get to the truth,'' Abe said in a statement. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki called the shooting ''absolutely unforgivable.''
Ito was seeking his fourth four-year term in Sunday's mayoral election in the city.
Ito was shot twice in the back at a one-meter point-blank range at 7:52 p.m. in front of the station shortly after getting off a campaign vehicle near his campaign office, according to the police and Ito's office.
He was immediately taken to a hospital, where his heart and lungs have ceased movement, the police said.
After the mayor underwent an emergency operation from around 8:45 p.m., the hospital said Ito remains unconscious and in an extremely serious condition with an artificial heart-lung machine attached.
''The prospects for resuscitation are very bleak,'' the hospital said at a press conference, noting that a bullet had reached his heart and that he had a feeble pulse.
Hiroki Hisano, 51, who runs a convenience store near the station, said, ''It is unforgivable to resort to violence regardless of motives. In Nagasaki, a former mayor was assaulted in the past. I'm worried that no one will come forward to become mayor.''
Shoko Takahira, a 59-year-old self-employed woman, said, ''I feel sorry and mortified to see a person who led citizens in promoting peace in the world being gunned down.''
Ito, formerly a Nagasaki city assembly member and Nagasaki prefectural assembly member, has made a number of statements and remarks to promote peace since he was first elected in 1995 as mayor of Nagasaki, which was devastated by the atomic bomb dropped in World War II.
In January 1990 in the city, former Mayor Hitoshi Motoshima was shot and seriously injured by a right-wing extremist after he refused to retract controversial remarks that the late Emperor Hirohito was partially responsible for the war.
==Kyodo

Back to bento life...

タイトル：弁当ライフに戻って…

At the press club, I was back to my busy days, sadly having nothing to spare...
no time and no composure...

But time goes by so cruelly.
And I had no time to eat a decent dinner!

so I'm back to the bento life!
oh, I just hate not having enough time!

記者クラブで再び忙しい日々に戻った。悲しいことに全く余裕がない…時間にも落ち着きにも…
でも時間は容赦なく過ぎていく。
ちゃんとした晩飯なんて食べる時間さえ無い！
写真：ということでまた弁当ライフに戻ったよ！
ああ、時間が十分無いってのは本当にむかつく！

Again and again...

タイトル：またまた…

It was supposed to be an easy day for me...
Nothing overnight except for some small aftershocks of Noto.
But just like three weeks ago, as I was about to go home...

M5.4 quake hitting the Mie Prefecture at 12:19PM!
a trembling scale of 5 plus at Kameyama City...

Again, a quake on Sunday, again...

楽な日になるはずだったのに…
能登の小さい余震が幾つかあった以外は夜通し何もなかった。
でも３週間前と同じように、家に帰ろうと思ってたら…
写真：Ｍ５．４の地震が午後０時１９分に三重県を襲った！
亀山市で震度５強の揺れ…
また日曜に地震だ、また…。

Back at home I watched the Satsuki Sho (JpnI) before going out to drink at Gotanda.

ambush by the 7th favorite, Victory!
I sensed this horse could win the race, but I made a major mistake by picking the wrong horse for the runner-up position. which was taken by Sun Zeppelin, the 15th favorite horse surging in, beating off the 2nd favorite Fusaich Ho O and the favorite Admire Aura to the third and fourth finish.
just like his father finishing third at this first crown race, Fusaichi Ho O could win The Nippon Derby returning to Fuchu.
let's see!

家に帰ってあと、五反田に飲みに出る前に皐月賞（ＪｐｎＩ）を見ていた。
写真：伏兵の７番人気ヴィクトリーが襲う！
この馬がレースを勝つかも知れないと感じていたが、２着の馬を間違って選んでしまう大失敗を犯した。２着はサンツェッペリンが強襲して確保。２番人気のフサイチホウオーと１番人気のアドマイヤオーラは３着と４着に。
１冠目のレースでは父と同じように３着に終わったフサイチホウオーは府中に戻った日本ダービーは勝てるかもね。
どうなるかな！

Longer daylight!

タイトル：昼間が長くなった！

I think I had enough sleep, but I know I won't be having a lot tonight...

heading to overnight duty in the evening...
it's still light as day at 6PM!
we should think about adopting the daylight saving time!

十分寝たと思う。でも今夜はそれほど寝れないことは分かっている…。
写真：夕方に泊まり勤務に向かって…
午後６時でもまだ日中のように明るかった！
夏時間の導入を考えた方が良いね！

Strolling

タイトル：散歩して

Though it was a day off for me, I went out to meet a plaintiff or a civil suit. Afterwards, I decided to use my time effectively...
To take a walk around! I would have to run back to my office if it were workday, but without any chains on me today, I could just enjoy strolling around...

It was such a beautiful day, and heaven would have punished me if I had gone home without strolling around.

the trees of Koishikawa Botanical Gardens looked beautiful

I walked around the Korakuen-Koishikawa-Hakusan Area, one of the best areas to take a stroll. After getting tired, I took the subway back home, and guess what I did!
Sleep!
I think a 15 hours plus rest has finally put me back to shape.
It's too bad overnight duty tomorrow could easily draw out all my savings, but at least for now, I feel fine!

俺にとっては休みだったが、民事訴訟の原告に会いに行ったof。そのあと、時間を効果的に使おうと思った…
散歩をしようと！仕事日だったら職場に急いで戻っていただろうけど、自分に鎖がかかってない今日は、散歩を楽しむこができるんだ…

とっても良い天気で、歩き回らずに家に帰ってたら罰が当たっただろうね。
写真：小石川植物園の木々はきれいだったな
後楽園－小石川－白山の地域を歩き回った。散歩するには最高な場所の一つだね。疲れてきたあと、地下鉄で家に戻って、何をしたと思う！
寝ること！
１５時間超の睡眠でようやく元どおりになれた気がする。
この貯金すべてが明日の泊まり勤務で引き出されてしまうのは残念だ。少なくとも今だけは気分が良いよ！

Wind taken out...

タイトル：裏をかかれ…

I woke up early in the morning, all hyped-up to start working again.
Before heading out to work, I watched the first few plays of the Mariners-Red Sox game, including Dice-K versus Ichiro's first at bat.

watching it live... a precious moment to spare!

Riding the train as always to Kasumigaseki and reaching the press club as always...
BUT... a miscalculation took place...
I was told, I could have taken two more days off! WHAT!? Two more days!? I had no plans to take four days off, and I was baffled quite a bit...

Staying till noon, I took the train to Shibuya with my colleague and had lunch together. I went to the bank and the bookstore to hang around a bit... Without anything more to do, I went home and watched television...

Hmm... I really did not have plans to take four days off... I even had made appointments tomorrow, to meet members of the plaintiffs I must cover... I was all ready to work and my winds are taken out of my sails... hmm... four days off... REALLY!?

朝早くに起きて、とにかくまた仕事だと気合いが入った。
仕事に向かう前に、マリナーズ対レッドソックスの最初の方だけ見た。ダイスケ対イチローの初打席も含めて。
生で見てた…貴重な時間を割いてね！
いつも通り電車に乗って霞ヶ関に行って、いつものように記者クラブに行った…。
でも…計算違いが起きてしまった…
あと２日休みを取っても良いんだよと言われてしまった！えっ！？あと２日！？４日休む計画なんて無かったし、逆に困ってしまった…。
正午まで残ってから、同僚と渋谷まで電車で行って、一緒にランチを食べた。銀行や本屋に行って少しうろうろした…それ以上することもなくって、家に帰ってテレビを見てた…。
うーん…マジで４日間も休む計画じゃなかったしね…。明日は、取材しなきゃいけない原告に会うアポ入れちゃったしね…。働く準備万端だったのに、結構出鼻をくじかれたね…うーん…４日休み…マジで！？

A Waste!?

タイトル：無駄！？

I woke up at around 3PM...
Yes, I think I wasted another precious day off!
What made it worse was that it was raining outside and it didn't cheer me up at all!

at least I made it to Shinjuku... nothing to do here though...

Getting a haircut and going to the bank was all I did today.
Oh, what a waste... I hope I had enough rest!

午後３時ぐらいに起きた…。
うん、また貴重な休日を無駄にしてしまったと思う！
さらに悪いことは、外は雨が降ってて全く気分をよくしてくれなかったことだ！
写真：最悪新宿にまでは行ったけど…ここでやること無いよね…
今日やったことは、散髪して銀行に行ったくらい。
ああ、すげー無駄…十分休めただろうな！

Repentant...

タイトル：後悔して…

I was given two days off. I had to be happy about it, but...

I knew I had to wake up to fulfill my promise... I just couldn't wake up and get out of bed... It was way over 3PM when I got up and I knew it was too late to get to the meeting I wanted to go.

Feeling bad, but I just couldn't help it, as I was very tired... I've done enough work this past few weeks, but I know nothing is enough in this job, because the reason I work for is not for my evaluation, but for the realization of the improvement of weaker ones' lives, and there's no end to such painful process.
I know I'm not doing this job by myself, as many of my colleagues are supporting me, and going on with their fight to cover other hopes for a better world. I'm really asking myself if I had enough, because there's no end to this fight, but I have limited resources within me.

I finally went outside, but failed to make the meeting... and the cherry trees with few blossoms left did not cheer me at all!

２日間の休みをもらった。嬉しいはずだったが…。

起きて約束を守らねばと思った…。どうしてもベッドから起き上がれなかった…。起きたとき余裕で午後３時を超えていて、行きたかったミーティングにはとても間に合わないと悟った。

悪いなと思ったが、どうしようもなかった。すごく疲れてたから…。ここ数週間、十分仕事をした。でもこの仕事では何も十分ではないのは分かっている。働くのは自分の評価のためじゃなく、弱者の生活をより良くしたいからだ。その骨折りなプロセスに終わりはない。
この仕事を一人でやってる訳じゃないのは知っている。たくさんの同僚たちがサポートしてくれているし、より良い世界に向けた他の希望を取材してそれぞれに戦っている。実際、十分にやったじゃないかって自分に聞いてしまう。だったこの戦いに終わりは無いのだから。でも自分には限界があるんだよね。

写真：ようやく外に出たが、ミーティングには間に合わなかった…そしてほとんど花が残ってない桜の木は全く励ましにもならなかった！