Taking a day off for a priceless meeting!

It was supposed to be a day at work, but since my appointment today had nothing to do with my present job, I went to my office to announce I will take the day off.

Free from work, I attended a gathering near Heiwajima.

the plaintiff of the Tokyo Air Pollution Lawsuit were all happy... and it was OK to say I support them being free from being a journalist today!

I attended a drinking party afterwards and had talks with many acquaintances along with sufferers of the Minamata Disease from the Shiranui Sea at Kumamoto...

Struggling at my new working environment, it's always nice to find people who think highly of what I've done through my job. I'm truly honored and also a little bit shy that I'm given so much words of gratitude by just doing my job!

It's the end... and also a start!

In the evening, I went out to take a glance at the last step in the lawsuit I've worked on for a year.

the press conference and meeting held by the plaintiffs...

The lawsuit has come to an end today, but it will also be the start of observing whether the air of this megacity will really be cleaner and if the medical fee aid act will be enacted properly.

After attending a bit of their social gathering at a nearby Chinese restaurant, I hurried to my office to get into overnight duty...

I must move on...

I went to my office... I still felt like I was at the wrong place... why?
Maybe I'm just a loser trying to escape from reality. I continuously ask myself what am I trying to accomplish at this new stage... continuously...

In the evening, I went to out to meet the plaintiff of the lawsuit I covered for a year, I'd hoped a historical accomplishment will be materialized. Talking in front of them and drinking beer with them, I finally felt for real I had accomplished something covering their feat.
But in return I felt so sad I'm out of their vicinity. Oh, I had no way of continuing on covering the same news, and whether I wanted it or not, I had to move on to a different subject to cover.
I've been given the opportunity, being transferred to a different section, and I should thank God I've been pushed from the back to do so.

I'll move on... that's what I promised my comrades!

the city looked different from a month ago... maybe it's because it's cloudy and it's at a diffeent time of the day... but in reality, the city is never the same... and I must realize that!

Exhausted...

It's completely over...

the plaintiffs were smiling as their long fought lawsuit will be settled shortly.

Covering the lawsuit for over than 10 months, I'm truly happy and satisfied with what I've done, spitting away all the regrets...
But it's also true I'm having a feeling of exhaustion that I've lost my target...

It's time to think about moving on to a different stage in my career. In a couple of weeks, I will be working at a different place in my organization... somewhere I hadn't requested to be transferred to.

I'm not going to lose hope though. Fear is not an option. I have enough strength in me, I shall be asked to take leadership. I'll meet the challenge and soon enough, I shall be crowned with success.

Like the plaintiffs that achieved great results after fighting for 11 years...

P.S.
I met my mom at Shinagawa and had dinner together...
Thanks mom! You know I cheer up when I see my family...
So don't worry... I'll go on...
There's no simple way to success!

Follow-up

Finishing off my work... going out to follow-up on the way things will go till the signing ceremony of the settlement.

will the "air" of this foggy city become cleaner!? that will be a long term follow-up I shall observe for a lifetime...

The internet was filled with the news...

but they probably won't be at the top pages tomorrow, because the newspapers are proud that they have already written about it... writing their forecast articles days before...

(short article from Kyodo)
◆Tokyo air pollution victims decide to accept court-brokered deal
TOKYO, June 30 KYODO
Hundreds of asthma patients involved in a damages suit over air pollution decided Saturday to accept a court-brokered deal which requires diesel-powered vehicle makers to offer them 1.2 billion yen in a settlement, leaders of the plaintiffs said.
The decision comes as the plaintiffs are preparing to settle the damages suit with the defendants, including the central government and a state-run toll road operator, over air pollution caused by emissions from diesel-powered motor vehicles in Tokyo.

A bad start, already at 3AM...

ah, even the last paper couldn't stop writing before it's over...
is this journalism? or just an excuse?

Deeply regrettable...

After today, I will not return to whoever I was yesterday...
I'm quite shellshocked from all the misery I carry on at this active war with other media rivals.
But today, I completely lost the fight...

regret... remorse... can't go on without drinking beer...

I'm not sure if I can go on... I surely can't smile for a while...

Feeling guilty...

I had no choice. It's not my style to ask for a favor imploringly. But I just feel guilty I'm appealing my feelings to whom I shall trust...
If I can't get the information I need, I won't hestitate to quit this job. Because, if I'll won't, I will have no confidence in going on with my career!

P.S.
I was asleep for so many hours I didn't notice it was nearly the end of the day...

the fire trucks woke me up... there was no fire around, but they just came to confirm that... I felt guilty leaving these guys at the scene... but I had no choice... I had to get a haircut before going out to cover the news...

All I could do was grin at the article...

After having some sushi and beer at Yotsuya with my colleague, I stayed overnight at my office to check out the morning papers.
They did not fail to disappoint me... writing a top story article off the top of their heads...

just a "forecast" article... is this journalism? well maybe it is for them!

The end? Or the beginning?

Spending time anxiously at the court.
It felt as if I was waiting in line to see the bulletin board of the exam results...

the plaintiff enters the court to hear the result... (photo by Jiji)

The number was not exactly what they wanted... I had hoped that it would become the end, but now, this could only be the beginning...
The result... The Tokyo High Court recommends that the carmakers should pay 1.2 billion yen to settle the air pollution lawsuit.
A tough number for the plaintiff to accept... but for now on, it will be my mission to hear what they are willing to do with this harsh recommendation by the court.

Reaching a settlement...

Today I was just getting ready for Friday, not taking care of other lawsuits...
But, as I viewed the news... oh, I was quite envious....

The tunnel workers were able to settle their case with the state. I had no part in covering the news, but it was an object of envy for me, covering another large lawsuit case.
Oh, when will mine be settled!? Who knows...

the tunnel workers were given relief... (photo by Jiji)

Oh, I want to see this soon with my case too!!

(article from Kyodo)
◆Tokyo tunnel workers, state settle lung disease lawsuit
TOKYO, June 20 KYODO
A group of former tunnel construction workers stricken by lung disease after working on state-ordered projects formally reached a settlement Wednesday with the state at the Tokyo High Court.
They are the first among around 970 people who have filed lawsuits throughout Japan to seek compensation and have settled by giving up their claim on compensation -- 3.3 million yen per person -- in exchange for the state pledging to step up measures for workers against pneumoconiosis.
A representative of the group met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday and signed an agreement to settle the case. Settlements are expected later at other courts where similar lawsuits are pending.
Pneumoconiosis is an occupational disease usually contracted by prolonged exposure to dust, which hardens and eventually kills cells in the lungs. Some people develop the disease 10 years or more after initial exposure.
==Kyodo

I've made up my mind...

If I screw it up, I will quit this job.

I learned how to write my resignation papers.

I truly hope I won't have to hand in this...

But I will not hesitate... If I screw up I will quit!

Still alive...

I felt relieved when I checked the web of all the major newspapers, and confirmed that nothing was written on the morning papers.

Start of a long day, and the focus then turned to the evening papers...

many of them jumped to conclusions...

(Kyodo's article below)
◆Tokyo air pollution victims to settle suit with central gov't
TOKYO, June 15 KYODO
Hundreds of asthma patients are certain to settle a damages suit with the central government and a state-run toll road operator over air pollution caused by emissions from diesel-powered motor vehicles in Tokyo, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said Friday.
Lawyer Takao Nishimura told a news conference that the plaintiffs are also highly likely to reach a settlement with the Tokyo metropolitan government which is scheduled to offer its own anti-pollution measures Monday.

In the afternoon the court said they will set forth its proposal to settle the lawsuit on the 22nd. Now I'm given a week to feel some relief... but not much... Hell will begin from Monday anyways with so many things to cover waiting for us!

Gladly accepting...

Last night I had too much beer at the send-off party of my doukis (colleagues entering the organizaion in the same year). While I was hoping for their success, I had fun myself drinking pleasantly with colleagues I can speak frankly.

This morning, with a headache undoubtedly having a hangover, I had to cover the conclusion of the hearing for the former feudal lord of the fund monarchy.

the sentence will be given out on July 19th... before I'll get transferred...

I went out to see the plaintiffs late at night like I'd done each weekday since last Tuesday. I was offered some Japanese sake and I gladly accepted it. Drinking together to get acquainted... that's how I've covered the news all my years and I'm not going to change that style!

(article from Kyodo News)
◆Lawyers call case against Murakami baseless
TOKYO, June 12 KYODO
Lawyers for Yoshiaki Murakami hit out at prosecutors Tuesday as they presented their closing argument at the Tokyo District Court, saying the investigators' case accusing the former investment fund manager of insider trading is baseless.
The defense team argued there are no records to support the charges that Murakami and his fund engaged in the illegal stock transactions, adding that the evidence relied on is a ''castle in the sand.''
The court held the last of a series of hearings that began last November. A ruling will be handed down July 19.
Murakami, founder of the Murakami Fund, has pleaded not guilty to prosecution charges that the fund made a profit of around 3 billion yen by buying and then selling shares in Nippon Broadcasting System Inc., a radio broadcaster, after Internet and financial services firm Livedoor Co. gave him insider information.
The prosecutors argued Murakami received insider information that Livedoor would purchase a large number of Nippon Broadcasting shares in a meeting with Livedoor's management on Nov. 8, 2004. But the defense countered that on that date Murakami did not believe Livedoor could accumulate the necessary funds to buy the stock.
''At the time of the meeting, there was no possibility that Livedoor could successfully collect Nippon Broadcasting shares,'' the lawyers' statement said.
'There are no internal documents to suggest Mr. Murakami knew of Livedoor's decision to buy a large amount of the shares,'' it added. ''The e-mail messages of Livedoor officials that the prosecutors rely on as evidence are just big talk.''
Last month, prosecutors asked the court to give Murakami, a former trade ministry bureaucrat, a three-year prison term and a fine of 3 million yen, and to order him to pay a record 1.15 billion yen surcharge -- the highest amount ever sought in an insider trading case in Japan.
Murakami, a merger and acquisitions expert once regarded as heralding the arrival of a more free-wheeling style of capitalism in Japan, is alleged to have personally earned at least 155 million yen in the transactions involving the radio broadcaster's shares. His individual assets are said to amount to over 20 billion yen.
Livedoor bought a large number of the broadcaster's shares in February 2005 in a failed attempt to acquire influence over the Fujisankei Communications Group, which encompasses the radio station and Fuji Television Network Inc., one of Japan's biggest private TV broadcasters.
Murakami's trial has focused on when Livedoor decided to buy shares in Nippon Broadcasting and whether it took any action that could be considered as providing insider information to Murakami in violation of the Securities and Exchange Law.
==Kyodo

The Russian roulette...

Another start of a lethal week for me.
There's no telling when the lawsuit I'm in charged of will settle the case, and when that day comes, it will be recorded in history.
The question is... when will that day be!?

The Russian roulette has already been set and I don't know how many chambers we have. I hope there's at least 7 of them and I could pull the trigger last.


having lunch at Starbucks before going out to cover the story!

The air pollution lawsuit is on its verge of being settled, and all the reporters and writers involved are praying it will...

It's not worth it!

Since it was raining last night, I took my car to my office, and worked till nearly 2:30AM. I finally went to bed at 4:30AM and after being awaken numerous times because of weather warning e-mails sent to my mobile phone, I finally woke up at noon.

It was still raining...

still red on radar at many regions in the Kanto Area.

I headed to the air pollution lawsuit's plaintiffs' gathering in Jimbocho. After the meeting was over at around 4PM, it was fine outside.

Finishing off my work, I went to Shinjuku again, and there were more than 50 lined up at Burger King. It's just not worth it to stand in line for more than 5 minutes to buy a burger because that's not what the "fast food" concept is meant for, and while the quest for a Whopper stays to be a treasure hunt rather than a convenient pleasure, I'll stay away from it!
Mortifying, but not pitiful!
And the 490 yen beef bowl set with a bowl of salad and a raw egg I had a Matsuya wasn't bad!

Thank goodness!

I found my pocket-size binder!
It wasn't there at my office, but I found out I had forgotten it at a Chinese restaurant I had some drinks on Sunday night... phew...
How lucky I was I didn't drop it somewhere I wouldn't even think of...

I was mostly covering the news outside today and it became quite cold at night. It's a very tough road to a settlement, but I hope the lawsuit I'm covering will be resolved, as it's very important and influential to the forecoming environmental policies that must be executed by authorities.

P.S.
While walking through the Tokyo Dome...

Red Hot Chili Peppers in Japan... I don't own any of their albums, but I was envious... so many were there waiting for the concert though it was still about 4PM... oh, how peaceful it is for them... are they taking their days off? ah... I just gave them an envious look!

So in trouble...

When I'm distracted by unexpected developments I make mistakes that could ruin everything.
Today, I found out that I had lost both my notebook and pocket-size binder somewhere...
Luckily, my notebook was found outside, and I will be able to retrieve it tomorrow. But I still can't find my precious pocket-size binder with all my memories and future schedules written down, and my only guess is that I'd forgotten it at my office on Sunday night.
Oh, I just pray to God it's there...

But I had to go on with business...

covering a meeting about environmental pollution at Hibiya Kokaido...

Scared...

In the morning, I was covering the high court upholding AUM sarin maker's death penalty sentence.

But in the afternoon, back to the air pollution lawsuit!

being treated as the top news really scares me...

Yeah, maybe that's the truth about what I've been irritated these few months...
I'm just scared!
Scared to be left out...
Scared to lose...
Scared to take another step...
Scared...