Chilly winds...

タイトル：寒風…

In the morning I had to be present at a raid near Yoyogi Uehara.
In the afternoon I had to take a "burasagari" (meaning "cling-on") interview in front of the courthouse.
It was a windy day... and the winds were so chilly... I hope I didn't catch a cold!

朝には代々木上原近くの捜索に立ち会わないといけなかった。
午後には裁判所前で「ぶら下がり」インタビューをとらないといけなかった。
とても風が強い日で…本当に冷たい風だった…風邪をひいてなきゃ良いんだけど！

(today's term)
burasagari(interview)　
　ぶらさがり（インタビュー）
英語では説明しづらい日本のメディアが行う
「ぶらさがりインタ」。
ここにある写真のようなインタ方式↓
http://hide3diary.blogspot.com/2007/01/no-sweat.html
首相をはじめ、会合が終わった後や国会での
政治家に対するインタビューなどで
テレビではよく見られるが、英語で説明するのは
結構難しい。要するに…
"a way of interviewing someone usually without an
appointment, where the interviewers "cling-on" to
the interviewee outside of a room or building where
the interviewee had just been"
丁寧に説明すると長いな…。直訳すると、
「インタビューの手法の一つで、通常は
アポ無しで行われ、インタビューする人たちが、
インタビューされる人に「ぶらさがる」かたちで、
インタビューされる人がさっきまでいた部屋や建物の
外で行われるもの」
これ、よくやるインタ（インタビュー取材のこと）の
かたちなんで、英語でも説明できるようにしないとね！

In rage...

タイトル：怒って…

A busy day covering the High Court and Supreme Court...
For me, it was another day of rage, pushing me another notch further to the desire of quitting.
>:-(

高裁と最高裁を取材する忙しい日…
でも俺にとっては、再び怒りの日だった。さらに辞めたいという思いが１段階上がるぐらいの。
＞：－（

Energy saving...

タイトル：省エネで…

Since this coming several weeks will be an equivalent to living hell, I made up my mind to write only a minimum on this diary for a while.
Sleeping a minute longer may save my life, and I'd know what I sacrificed when I see this diary years later!

(posts will be made mostly around 1AM-3AM the next day but they will be posted as 11:59PM the day before, as I usually do on such cases)

これから数週間は生き地獄と同じになるので、しばらくは、この日記には最低限のことしか書かないことにします。
１分でも長く寝ることが死ななくても済むかも知れないし、数年後にこの日記を見たときに何を犠牲にしたのか分かるし！
（書き込みは次の日の午前１時～３時ごろにすると思うけど、そういう時はいつものように、前の日の夜１１時５９分に書き込んだことにします）

Believe on winning...

タイトル：勝利を信じて…

I went back to work at around 2:30PM.

Watching the races while I went through the papers.
Both the graded races of the east and west were won by 8 yr olds!

Lohengrin winning the Nakayama Kinen(G2) above and Precise Machine (dead-heat first finish with 5 yr. old Eishin Dover) taking the Hankyu Hai(G3) below...
They both belong to the Tanino Gimlet and Symboli Kris S generation and it's quite delightful to see these elder ones beating the younger 4-7 yr olds.

Oh yeah, we elders must run to the goal believing we can win!

I have to get to the press club tonight and back to my office later on... hmm... I won't be back home till way over midnight...

午後２時半ごろに仕事に戻った。

資料を読みながらレースを見ていた。
東西の重賞レースは８歳馬が制した！

写真：ローエングリンは中山記念（Ｇ２）を勝ち（上）、プリサイスマシーン（５歳馬エイシンドーバーと同着）は阪急杯（Ｇ３）を獲った（下）…。
両馬ともタニノギムレットとシンボリクリスエス世代で年上の馬たちが若い４ー７歳馬たちに勝つのを見るのは結構痛快だな。

そうだね。俺たち年を取ったのも勝てると信じてゴールに向かって走らないとね！

今夜はこれから記者クラブに行って、また職場に戻らないと…ふむ…家に戻るのは夜中をずいぶん超えてからになるかな…。

Freezing...

タイトル：凍える…

I gave up working at about half past six.

Outside, it was freezing! (According to JMA, it was 0.2 degrees Celcius at central Tokyo at 6AM)

Back at home...

the windows were wet with dew! (=condensation)

Statistically, it's probably the coldest morning this winter at central Tokyo.

After several hours of sleep, I must go back to work...
good night... I mean, good morning's sleep...

午前６時半頃に仕事はギブアップした。
外は凍えるぐらい寒かった！（気象庁によると都心では午前６時に０．２度を記録）
家に戻ったら…
窓は露で濡れていた！（＝凝結）
統計的に、都心では今冬最も寒い朝のはずだ。
数時間寝た後、仕事に戻らなきゃ…
お休み…あ、いや、良い朝寝を…

Before going out to work...

タイトル：仕事に出る前に…

I slept all morning after I returned home drinking with my younger colleagues till about three.

In the afternoon, I had to check out whether I still cared to have fun. If my passion for things I love to do are gone, it would be a very bad sign.

fortunately I still had the enthusiasm to bet on horseys!

I lost all my bets today, but I didn't care. I found out I still love to see them horseys run.
After the races I went to bed right away, and woke up in the evening.

Refreshed, I went out to work overnight to get ready for a judgment to be given out on Tuesday, and for Horiemon's trial.
There's just tremendous amounts of work waiting for me and I dare not to run away from them!

３時頃まで後輩たちと飲んで家に帰った後、午前中は眠り倒した。
午後になって、まだ楽しく過ごしたいって気があるのかどうか確認する必要があった。やりたいって思ってることへの熱意が無くなったら、それはかなりヤバイ兆しだから。
写真：幸いにもまだ馬に賭ける情熱はあったようだ！
きょうは全部負けたけど、どうでも良かった。お馬ちゃんたちが走るのを見るのはまだ好きなんだって分かったから。
レースが終わったあと、すぐにベッドに入って、夕方に起きた。
再び元気づいて、ホリエモン裁判と火曜日に出る判決の準備をするために徹夜で仕事をすることにした。
とんでもない量の仕事が待ってるけど、そこから逃げ出すことはしないよ、絶対に！

Running away...

タイトル：逃亡…

These couple of days, I'm fighting with my mental conflict.

I'm right now at a peak of thinking about my life, as I really sense a turning point is arriving. I don't want to narrow my chances... being a reporter is not my only choice... if there's any offer for a job-change, I'd gladly take it!

I'm still in my 30's and I'm at the peak of vitality to seek a meaningful life. I don't want to waste my time any more, and it's about time I should seriously about my future, and I'm fed up going on with fixed ideas and all walks of life are welcome to me.

Well, I fully know, I might be getting too passionate trying to run away from reality. But the reality is that my passion is running away with what I do now!

after the rain, the sun lit on the buildings of Kasumigaseki...
yes it always shines after the rain!

ここ数日、心の葛藤と戦っている。

今ちょうど人生のことを考えるピークにいる。転換点が近づいていると感じるから。自分が持ちうるチャンスを狭めたくない…記者で居続けることが唯一の選択肢ではない…転職のオファーがあるなら、喜んで受けるよ！

まだ３０代だし、意味がある人生を送ろうとするバイタリティーがピークにある状態だ。もう時間は無駄にしたくないし、将来のことを真剣に考える時にきている。決まりきった考えで進んでいくのには飽きたし、どんな人生の選択肢だろうが選り好みはしない。

まぁ、十分分かってることだが、現実から逃げるために少し感情的になってるのかも知れない。でも今やってることに情熱が感じられなくなっていることも実感しているんだ！

写真：雨のあと、太陽が霞ヶ関のビル群を照らした…
そうだ。雨の後、いつも晴れるんだよ！

Suffering...

タイトル：苦しんで…

I made a rudimentary or perhaps a fundamental mistake today, and it's so tough nowadays for me to accept the fact I am making a dumb mistake that even freshmens won't...


a big X on my face!

Suffering from my carelessness... I'm starting to look into myself...
Shall I just quit this job? Or shall I just be a spoilt child?
I don't want to be neither, but I also must realize I might be hitting the critical point of my career to make decisions...
Am I going to do the same thing, shortening my life till I die, or will I look for a better way of enjoying life...
Ah, I must make a decision...

きょうは初歩的で、たぶん根本的なミスを犯した。新人もしないようなアホな間違いをやったことを受け入れるのは本当に辛いことだ…
写真：顔にでっかい×を！
自分の不注意に苦しんで…自分を見つめ直そうと思い始めている…
この仕事を辞めようか？それともだだっ子でいるべきか？
どっちもイヤだな。でも自分のキャリアで判断が迫られる重要な時期に来ていることははっきりと理解しなければならない…
ああ、決断をしなければ…

P.S.
Well well... I still have responsibilities...
I went out to Shinjuku to have drinks with a younger...
There's so many possiblities lying ahead for you, and it's a great privilege that you can be anguished, because you will find your answer someday just like I did years ago!

追伸
まぁまぁ…責任もあるんだけどね…。
新宿に出て後輩と飲んだ。
あなたにはまだたくさんの可能性があるんだよ。そして悩むことはできるっていうのはすごい特権なんだよ。俺が何年も前にそうだったように、きっと答えが見つけられるから！

(today's term)
spoilt child　だだっ子
spoiled～でも良い。spoilは
過度に甘やかしたり、過保護にするという意味があって、
その受け身のspoiltはそれで増長したという意味がある。
それにchildを付けると、だだっ子という言葉ができ上がる。
この恵まれた環境で仕事を続けて、それに甘えて
うだうだ言うだだっ子にはなりたくない。
でもこのままここに居続けると、組織の中で自分の立場を
確立しようと必死になって、単なるだだっ子のように
なってしまうのが怖い。それが回避できるのなら
ここに留まっても良いが、俺には自身がない…。
というか、そんなヤツになりたくない！

Blurry...

タイトル：不鮮明な…

Are we really in the recovery mode?

the recovery seems to be blurry like this pic!
the "unanimous" top news of the day: Bank of Japan making its move...

And my future looks blurry too.
Where the hell am I heading to!?

本当に回復期に入ってるの？
写真：この写真みたいに景気回復は不鮮明な気がしますが！
きょう圧倒的なトップニュースになったのが：日銀が動いたこと…
俺の将来も不鮮明だな。
俺はどこに向かってるんだろう！？

きょうのトップニュースについての共同の記事（和訳は略）

The article from Kyodo about the top news of the day!

◆BOJ lifts key rate to 0.5% by 8-1 vote, to raise rates slowly
TOKYO, Feb. 21 KYODO
The Bank of Japan raised its key short-term interest rate to 0.5 percent from 0.25 percent on Wednesday, the first increase since last July, as part of the bank's efforts to normalize its interest rate levels.
The nine-member BOJ Policy Board reached the decision by a vote of 8 to 1 at the end of a two-day meeting. BOJ Governor Toshihiko Fukui said the bank will maintain an accommodative stance with very low rates and ''slowly adjust its monetary policy by assessing economic and price conditions.''
Deputy Governor Kazumasa Iwata cast the only dissenting vote to a proposal from Fukui that the central bank take its first additional credit tightening step since terminating its zero-interest-rate policy on July 14 last year, according to the BOJ.
The interest rate level of 0.5 percent is the highest in about eight-and-a-half years. The central bank lowered its policy target rate from around 0.5 percent to 0.25 percent in September 1998 and adopted the latest zero-interest-rate policy in March 2001.
Along with the policy shift, the board decided by a vote of 8 to 1 to raise the basic loan rate to 0.75 percent from 0.4 percent. Iwata also objected to the proposal.
The basic loan rate effectively serves as the ceiling for the overnight call rate. The new call money and basic discount rates took effect immediately.
''We made the decision by adopting a forward-looking approach. If our policy remains unchanged, its stimulating effects on the economy will increase and expectations that low rates will continue over the long term will distort the allocation of funds,'' Fukui said at a press conference.
He stressed that the BOJ has no plan to indicate the timing of its next credit-tightening move, but suggested it will not seek another immediate rate increase.
''We will make judgments without a preset schedule. Uninterrupted rate hikes will suggest that we are bound by a certain timetable,'' the BOJ governor said.
Fukui hinted at his willingness to further tighten the bank's credit grip, saying the 0.5 percent rate ''can be considered relatively low'' if the economy posts 2 percent or so growth in a stable fashion.
The BOJ chief said Iwata was more concerned about future price trends than other board members. It was the first time that votes by the bank's leadership had been split since the introduction of the new BOJ Law in 1998, he added.
But Fukui emphasized that Iwata will cooperate with other BOJ executives in implementing the monetary policy change. ''Each board member makes independent decisions, but in executing the matters decided we will be united,'' he said.
Iwata, a former government economist and University of Tokyo professor, is regarded as one of the ''dovish'' BOJ policymakers, or those favoring an easy-money policy.
Under the new BOJ law, the nine-member panel became the top policy-setting body. The board consists of the governor, two deputy governors and six board members with academic and industry backgrounds.
On price trends, the governor said the BOJ expects Japan's core consumer prices to stay on a rising trend, although year-on-year changes in the core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, may hover around zero in the short term due to fluctuations in crude oil prices.
Many economists project that year-on-year changes in the core CPI may sink below zero later this year, pushed down by declines in global crude oil prices.
Asked whether the BOJ will dare to hike its rates while the CPI growth on year remains in minus territory, Fukui avoided a clear-cut answer, only saying the bank will make judgments by examining future economic conditions.
He also said the BOJ sees private consumption, which has weakened since last summer because of bad weather, has returned to a gradual growth path.
The governor had pointed to mild inflationary pressure and sluggish personal spending as reasons for the BOJ to refrain from rate hikes at its policy meetings in December and January.
The BOJ chief said the central bank will maintain the current policy of purchasing 1.2 trillion yen worth of government bonds a month ''for the time being.''
The rate hike came after the country's economy was confirmed to have logged stronger-than-expected growth during the October-December period of 2006.
Japan's gross domestic product grew an annualized 4.8 percent in the October-December period from the preceding three months in real terms. The GDP data showed personal spending has rebounded from a slump that was attributed to bad weather in the summer.
Fukui said BOJ rate decisions should take into consideration ''external consequences'' in the increasingly integrated global economy.
His remarks are believed to address concerns about the yen's recent weakness against the dollar and the euro, and the ballooning ''yen-carry-trade'' in which investors borrow yen funds cheaply at low interest rates and invest them in higher yielding assets denominated in the U.S. dollar and other currencies.
Fukui said the Group of Seven nations have discussed the risks of volatile movements in financial markets when investors unwind their positions. He also pointed out that continued low rates in Japan could perpetuate ''one-sided positioning'' in transactions of global foreign exchange, bond and stock markets.
During the G-7 financial leaders' meeting in Germany earlier this month, eurozone politicians attacked the yen's fall against the euro and a statement at the gathering included expressions that suggest the yen's depreciation against the euro should be corrected.
In the previous BOJ policy meeting in January, three board members had sought a credit squeeze, while the remaining six, including Fukui and Iwata, demanded no change in the monetary policy.
In a statement released after the rate decision, the BOJ said on the U.S. economy, ''Uncertainties over the future course of overseas economies, including that of the U.S. economy, are abating.''
==Kyodo

Cutting my sleeping time again...

to watch the NBA All-Stars!
it was a lopsided game... but MVP Kobe versus LeBron wasn't that lopsided!

また睡眠時間を削って…
写真：ＮＢＡオールスター戦を見るために！
ワンサイドの試合だった…でもＭＶＰコービーとレブロンの対決はそんなにワンサイドじゃなかったね！

(today's term)
lopsided　一方的な、いびつな
試合でどちらかが圧倒しているときに、
子供の頃、良く使っていた表現。
今でも使われている表現だろうか。
格闘技とか喧嘩とかで、一方が圧倒しているときより、
球技で一方が圧倒的な差を付けているときに、
lopsided gameでつまんない！ってよく言ってた。

Everything starts with the basics...

タイトル：すべては基本から始まる…

Tons of work to do...
But hell, at least I didn't have to work outside in this freezing rainy day.

Starting to be ready for next week's high court judgment concerning the MMC recall hiding case years ago...

reading some of the reference starting with the basics... newspaper articles!

Oh, I'd be happy if I only had to be ready for the Livedoor trials... there's much more judgments and sentences to be given out... oh man...

腐るほど仕事が…
でもくそ、この凍えるような雨降りの日に外で働かなくても良いのは助かる。
来週にある、数年前の三菱自工のリコール欠陥隠し事件関連の高裁判決の準備を始めて…
写真：基本の資料を読みながら…新聞記事ね！
ああ、ライブドア裁判の準備だけしてれば良いんだったら嬉しいんだけど…それよりたくさんの判決が出るんだよな…あ～あ…

I had forgotten...

タイトル：忘れてた…

That yesterday, the first citizens' Tokyo Marathon took place in the middle of this metropolis with 30,000 runners!

all the morning newspapers were like sports papers!

Ah honestly, I always had been running going after some kinda ball... a basketball, soccer ball, football, tennis ball... et cetera! It's not my style to "JUST RUN", and I can't understand why running could be so fun.

But I surely do understand the joy of reaching a goal. 42.195km is surely a long way to go!

Now, I still have a long way to go till I reach the goal for the present...
I surely hope I will be smiling when I reach it... like the runners of yesterday's marathon!

昨日、初の東京市民マラソンに３万人が参加して、都心で開かれていたのを！
写真：朝刊はみんなスポーツ新聞みたいだ！
まぁ正直、俺はいつも何らかの球体を追いかけて走ってたから…バスケットボール、サッカーボール、フットボール、テニスボール…等々！だから「走るだけ」ってのは違うんだよね。走るのがどれだけ楽しいのか良く理解できないんだよね。
でも目標に達するのが楽しいのはよく分かる。４２．１９５キロってすごい長い道のりやね！
今、現時点のゴールにたどり着くのにはまだまだ遠い道のりをいかないと行けない。
そこに辿り着いたときには笑ってたいね…昨日のマラソンランナーたちのようにね！

There's a place in the sun...

タイトル：太陽があたる場所はあるさ…

A rainy day at start, but for a change plus to slice off some of the stress, I went out to the movies.
The choice of the day was "The Guardian" (http://theguardian.movies.go.com/).
The USCG film has helped me concentrate on something different from work.

After the movie was over, it was sunny again!
I had to go back to work, as I had to finish my job I couldn't touch yesterday...
But looking at the sunshine...
I feel the tide is changing! I'm going to break into a gallop till I'll reach the goal line!

there's a place in the sun, where there's hope for everyone!

雨降りな日で始まったけど、ストレスを少しでもカットするために、映画を見に行ったよ。
きょうのチョイスは「守護神」（http://www.movies.co.jp/guardian/）
米沿岸警備隊についての映画だったけど、とりあえず仕事以外のことに集中できた。

映画が終わったら、また晴れてた！
仕事に戻らなきゃ。昨日触れなかった仕事を終わらせなきゃ…
でも太陽の光を見たら…
流れが変わった気がした！ゴールラインまで全力で駆け抜けよう！
写真：太陽があたる場所はあるさ。そこでは誰もが希望が叶うんだ！（唄の歌詞）

P.S.
The first GI race of this year, The February Stakes(GI)...

won by Sunrise Bacchus, who beat last year's champ Kanehikiri at the same racecourse and distance at the Musashino Stakes in 2005... the dirt world is still in bewilderment... there's no telling who will conquer it!

追伸
今年最初のＧＩレースのフェブラリーステークス（ＧＩ）…
同じコースで同距離の２００５年の武蔵野ステークスで去年の王者カネヒキリを破ったサンライズバッカスが勝った…ダート界はまだ混沌としている…誰が上に立つのか全く分からないね！

Spoiling my start...

タイトル：ひどい始まり…

I was supposed to start making the broadcasting plans for Horiemon's trial.
I woke up late with a headache, and as I went out to my office, the pain got worse, and even the painkillers didn't work... Only after working about an hour or so, I withdrew from my office to get some sleep...

the grey sky from my window did not cheer me up at all...

I finally woke up late at night... I hadn't finished any of the work I had planned to do today. I even cancelled an appointment to see a plaintiff of a civil suit tonight. I have to be patient... overwork now might spoil everything!

Tommorrow, I will work, but I will think more about cutting down some of the stress I have!

ホリエモン判決の放送計画を作り始めるはずだった。
頭痛のために起きるのが遅くなって、職場に出たら、痛みがひどくなった。痛み止めも全く効かなかった…１時間ちょっと働いただけで、寝るために職場から撤退した…
写真：家から見えるのが曇り空じゃ元気にならんわ…
夜遅くになってようやく起きた…きょうやろうと思ってた仕事は全くできなかった。裁判の原告に会うためのアポさえもキャンセルした。落ち着かなきゃ…過労はすべてを台無しにするかもしれない！
明日働くよ。でもとりあえずストレスを少しでも減らせるようにしなきゃ！

Exactly one more month to go...

タイトル：ちょうどあと１か月…

Till Horiemon will be sentenced! From today, I must start living some kind of hell to be ready for March 16th.

In the evening, I went to Yokohama to get some papers about a civil suit being judged at the end of this month.

central Yokohama!

Oh... I hope I'll be spared of my life when all of this is over!

ホリエモンの判決が出るまで！今日から３月１６日のための準備するために地獄のような生活を送らないとね。

夕方になって、今月末に判決が出る裁判の資料を取りに横浜に出掛けた。
写真：横浜の中心部！
ああ…これがすべて終わっても生きてますように！

Working like a machine...

タイトル：機械のように働く…

The day was over quickly just by dealing with daily routine work... writing up stories about three different judgments given out today. Two at the district court and one at the high court.
It's so stressful to just to work like a machine, without any sentiments.

日常的なルーティンワークに対処しているだけであっと言う間に１日が終わった…きょう出された３つ異なる判決の原稿を書き上げた。２つが地裁、１つが高裁のものだった。
感情抜きで機械のように働くだけってのはマジでストレスだ。

Back at home...

hey! I forgot about Valentine's Day!
thanks sis, but yesterday was just like everyday...
and your card arrived just one day late!!

家に戻ったら…
あ！バレンタインデーのこと忘れてた！
妹よありがとう、でも昨日はいつもと変わらぬ日だったよ…
ちなみにカードは１日遅れで着いてるんすけど！！

A crazy arrival of spring...

タイトル：狂った春の来訪…

A rainy day from the morning, but in the evening the the first strong south winds of the year signaling the beginning of spring (known as "haru ichiban") blew. It became the first ever occasion that it blew without an observation of the first snowfall of the season at central Tokyo (after such observations started in the Meiji Era). Another record indicating how crazy this winter is.

And tonight, I was astonished to hear that my colleague fainted at a drinking party and was taken to a hospital to see a doctor. No doubt, overwork is the main reason, which shocked me once again to realize we're making a living at a tough workplace!

I left my office just a little early... perhaps about an hour earlier than usual to get home about 15 minutes before midnight. Well, that probably won't help so much...

taking a nice hot bath might help!!

朝から雨降りの日だったが、夕方には南からの強い風が吹いて春の訪れが告げられた（「春一番」と言う）。
都心では、初雪が観測される前に春一番が吹いたのは、史上初めてのこと（明治時代から始まって以来）だ。また１つこの冬がいかに狂っているか示す記録だ。

そして夜になって、同僚が飲み会で倒れて診察のために病院に連れて行かれたと聞いて驚いた。過労が原因だというのは疑いないが、大変な職場でメシを食っているというのを改めて実感させられたのはショックなことだ！

少しだけ早く職場を離れた…いつもより１時間ほど早く出て、午前０時の１５分前ごろに家に着いた。まぁ、そんなに影響は無いだろうけど…
写真：暖かい風呂に入るのは良いかもね！！

Starting my laborious quest...

タイトル：骨の折れる冒険の始まり…

An awfully surprising start...
First thing in the morning...

a decision of 'not guilty' was given out at the court!
former prez of a of a listed real estate company was declared innocent of taking over a building in Shinjuku suspected of conspiring with gangsters...

In the afternoon, I started my laborious battle with the Livedoor trials with only a month or so till Horiemon's judgment on March 16th. I already had a head start in the three-day weekend, but time's up to be fiddling with the time I have left!

とってもびっくりする始まり…
朝一番に…
写真：裁判所で「無罪」の判決が出された１
暴力団と共謀して新宿のビルを乗っ取ったという疑いがあった、不動産上場会社の元代表取締役が無罪を言い渡された…
午後に入って、３月１６日とあと１か月ちょっとに出されるホリエモンの判決に向けて、ライブドア裁判との骨の折れる戦いに着手した。３連休で少し始めていたが、もううだうだする時間も無くなってきたし！

At night, with tremendous amount of stress on my shoulders, I went out to Shinjuku to meet my old friend visiting Tokyo, who I graduated high school together with, and missed each other for over a decade! I spent a very pleasant time, perhaps for the first time in weeks to relax, filling up our time we have long been away from each other. How nice that we can see how we have grown up once in a while!

夜になって、自分の肩に大量のストレスが乗っかかった状態で、東京を訪れている古い友人に会いに新宿に出掛けた。一緒に高校を卒業したあと、１０年以上も会ってなかったんだ！かなり楽しい時間を過ごしたが、ここ数週間で初めてリラックスできたかも。お互い会ってなかった間の積もる話をした。年を取ってからもこうやって会えるのは本当に良いことだね！

Working on a holiday again!

After I lost my consciousness on my bed around 4PM yesterday, I remember briefly waking up for a couple of times without any idea of the time, but I finally woke up for good at 6AM! That's 14 hours of sleep!! I even took another one hour nap from 9AM! That's how tired I was and how long it takes to fuel up. And sadly, I still think my tank's only about half full!

In the afternoon, I went out on location, and fortunately it was another warm and beautiful day, which was very helpful!

After returning home and before going back to work...

watching the first half of the recording of the Pro Bowl, while munching on a burger and while my washing machine was running to cleanse my gear for the coming week

After 9PM, I went out to the press club, and surely it was going to be a looong night!
Oh boy, it's very helpful we only have four weekdays this week because I'm already tired!!

Limited abilities...

タイトル：能力の限界…

To get ready for the judgment given out next month, I stayed up all night at my office during overnight duty to read the argument by Horiemon, which amounted for 509 pages, but sadly, I only finished reading a hundred...
Without any sleep, it probably took over five or six hours just for those hundred pages, as I was taking notes while reading his complicated arguments...
And I had four hundred more papes more to read, but honestly...
I gave up!!

I've bought more than five cups of coffee to stay awake!

来月の判決の準備をするために泊まり勤務の間、職場で徹夜で起きて、５０９ページのホリエモンの弁論を読んでたが、悲しいことに１００ページしか終わらなかった…。
一睡もせず、その１００ページのために５、６時間かかったと思う。ややこしい弁論を読む間、メモをずっと取ってたから…
そしてあと４００ページも残ってるけど、正直…
ギブアップした！！
写真：目を覚ましとくために５杯以上コービー買っちゃったね！

It's so sad to realize how limited my abilities are, as I always thought I have infinite possibilities within myself... but now I have to think how I can use my limited strength to overcome my missions!

自分の能力がどれだけ限られたものか悟るのは悲しいことだね。自分には無限の可能性があるといつも思ってたのに…でも今は使命を乗り切るために限られた能力をどう使っていくのか考えていかなければならないんだ！

I can't believe...

タイトル：信じられない…

I was so tired! I couldn't wake after sleeping for more than 13 hours!
And now, I have to head for overnight duty... I haven't done anything today!

And on the news...
Oh, I just can't believe this!

he's arrested!

すごく疲れてた！１３時間以上寝てからじゃないと起きられなかった！
そしてこれから、泊まり勤務に向かわないと…きょうは何もやってないよ！
ニュースでは…
うわ、信じられない！
あいつ逮捕されたんだ！
（以下、共同の記事、和訳は略：１９９４年神戸の５億円強奪事件の犯人が愛知県で別の強盗未遂容疑で逮捕されたという記事）

(from Kyodo)
◆ Arrested man found to be suspect in 1994 Kobe bank robbery
NAGOYA, Feb. 10 KYODO
A 56-year-old man arrested for attempted robbery in Nagoya on Friday turned out to be the main suspect wanted in an unresolved 540 million yen Fukutoku Bank robbery in Kobe in 1994 that reached the statute of limitations in April 2002.
The Aichi Prefectural Police said they will contact the Hyogo Prefectural Police that dealt with the 1994 case, the biggest bank robbery in Japan up to that time, and look into the man, Yoshihiro Morimoto, including his whereabouts after that incident.

We were after this guy for years when I was a member of the press club of Hyogo Prefectural Police. And now he's arrested!?

兵庫県警の記者クラブのメンバーだったときだが、何年もこいつのことを探してたのに、今ごろ逮捕かよ！？

Crazy...

タイトル：狂ってる…

My gas is about to run out. It's always tough to ride through a Friday.
I was groggy after attending two hearings in the afternoon...
Two mugs of beer just knocked me out at night and I was too sleepy to go on...
But as always, I had to work till midnight... crazy...

燃料が切れそうになった。金曜日を乗り切るのはいつもきつい。
午後に２つ裁判を聞いてたら、グロッキーになった…。
夜にビール２杯飲んだだけでノックアウト状態になって、続けるのには眠すぎた…。
でもいつものように、夜中零時まで働かないといけなかった…狂ってるよ…。

P.S.

the police were crazy too!
losing the greatest evidence of the crime...
will they be able to get the trial started!?

追伸
写真：警察も狂ってるよ！
犯罪の最大の証拠をなくすなんて…
公判を始められるの！？

Negotiating...

タイトル：交渉中…

After attending the press conference I had to write a brief story about at the press club, I headed westward on the Shinkansen.

along the way... I found some cherry blossoms at Atami Station!
a little early to show up, eh!?

In the Izu Area of Shizuoka, I had to negotiate for filming. I don't know if I made it right today, but surely I've gone far enough from Tokyo just to negotiate!

短く原稿を書かなければならない記者クラブでの会見に参加した後、新幹線で西方に向かった。
写真：途中で…熱海駅で桜の花を見つけたよ！
少し早いんじゃないの！？
静岡の伊豆地方で、撮影のための交渉を行っていた。上手く行ったか分からんけど、交渉のためだけに東京からずいぶん遠くに来た気がする。

P.S.
Saying Happy B-Day to DAD!
Still under 60!
Please take care and have fun doing what you like!
（和訳は略）

A waste of time and money...

タイトル：時間と金の無駄…

At the supreme level of national power, time was all but wasted fighting over a dumb remark made by a minister of state.

and all he does is apologize... (photo from Jiji)

All the opposing party can do is groan, and all we can do is moan...
Ah, what a waste of our tax money, and our time!

国権の最高峰では、アホな大臣発言のための闘争で時間が無駄にされていた。
写真：謝るだけかよ…（写真は時事）
反対勢力も文句言うだけだし、我々ができるのもぐだぐだ言うだけ…
ああ、すげー税金の無駄遣い。我々の時間もね！

A warm day!

タイトル：暖かい１日！

It was like the start of spring today, and I would have gone out to have a picnic if I had nothing to obey...

Oh well I must obey my orders to... work, work, work!!

I went to The Supreme Court in the morning to cover a judgement ordering benefit payments to three A-bomb victims living in Brazil.

At lunchtime, I was covering a meeting outside, and it was so warm...
Man... I wanna go to a picnic!!

Oh, I would love to have the air temperature warm like this till springtime, but that will surely paralyze our natural system!

きょうは春が訪れたようだった。命令がなければ、ピクニックにでも出掛けたのにね…。
まぁしかし命令には従わねばならない…仕事、仕事、仕事！！
朝には在ブラジルの被爆者に手当の支給を命じる判決を取材するために最高裁に行った。
昼は、外で集会を取材したが、本当に暖かかったよ…
あ～あ…ピクニックに行きてぇよ！！
ああ、こういう暖かい気温のまま春まで行って欲しいもんだが、そうなると自然のバランスが狂っちゃうだろうね！

Sloppy but Super!

タイトル：ボロボロだけどスーパー！

champs are champs, how sloppy they've played, because both teams battled in the same condition!

Super Bowl XLI surely was a very sloppy game, mostly because of the heavy rain and winds!
After an opening kickoff return TD by the Bears' rookie returner Devin Hester, tons of turnovers followed along with an unbelievable missed FG by the Colts' kicker Vinatieri in the first half.
And in the second half, as Bears' QB Rex Grossman struggled with a couple of INT, I think everyone witnessed that the MVP QB Payton Manning and the Colts' offense maintained its posture over Brian Urlacher and the Bears' defense.

写真：王者は王者だ。どれだけボロボロであっても。同じコンディションで両チームとも戦ったんだから！
第４１回スーパーボウルはマジでかなりボロボロな試合になった。ほとんど激しい雨と風のせいだけど！
前半は、ベアーズの新人リターナーのデビン・ヘスターが試合開始のキックオフリターンＴＤを決めた後、たくさんのターンオーバーが繰り返され、さらに信じられないコルツのキッカー、ビナディエリがＦＧを外すという出来事が続いた。
そして後半は、ベアーズＱＢのレックス・グロスマンがいくつかのインターセプトで苦しんだのに対して、誰もがＭＶＰのＱＢペイトン・マニングとコルツのオフェンスがブライアン・アーラッカーとベアーズのディフェンスより強い状態を保っていたことを確認できたと思う。

Deeeeeeply disappointed...

タイトル：すごーーーーく残念…

I started out early in the morning, leaving home before 7AM to take part in the reporting team covering the prosecutors' investigations.

I stayed outside the press club mostly throughout the day, and after I returned to our booth at the club, I made a critical mistake... mostly because of all the weariness, I was just inattentive.
I unintentionally took the evening paper of Yomiuri and glanced at the front page... instantly I knew I was doomed...
At the left top corner, picture of Payton Manning and the words "Colts Win" jumped into my eyes. Oh, so much for a complete chance to enjoy what I've been waiting for a year!
Spoiled with one look!!

I made it home minutes before midnight to start watching the Game...
OK! I shall enjoy seeing how the No. 1 QB and his team won it!

朝早くスタートした。特捜取材班を手伝うために午前７時前に出た。
一日中ほとんど記者クラブの外で過ごした。そしてクラブのブースに戻ってきた後、大失態を演じた…疲れからきたのか、油断してしまったようだ。
何気なく読売の夕刊を手にとって、１面に目をやってしまった…その瞬間、やっちまったと思った…。
左上の角っこに、ペイトン・マニングの写真と「コルツ勝利」という文字が目に飛び込んできた。あー、１年もの間待ちわびたものを楽しむ夢は崩れ去ったよ！
一瞥ですべてを失うとは！！
写真：午後０時になる数分前に家に帰って試合を見始めた…。
いいよ！どうやってナンバー１のＱＢとチームが勝ったのか楽しむことにするよ！