Prefatory Note
Be Considerate of Others
Hidesaburo Kagiyama, Advisor of YellowHat
■People with No Sparkle in Their Eyes“Although there are many people who are alive but live like zombies, you are still alive even after you have passed away.”
These are the words of Ms. Michiko Sato, a poet who lives in Osaka, presented to the deceased boy, Migaku Okui.
The boy Okui was considered a genius, but sadly, he was suddenly killed in a traffic accident. The paintings he left were put together and published as a book entitled “Shouts of a 19-year-old,” which is fabulous.
Currently in Japan, I have seen an increase in the number of people with no sparkle in their eyes, nor light or power in their words. Recently, I have seen the unlively faces, figures, attitudes, and behaviors of people I happen to come across with on public transit or to pass by on the street, and they have made me think there are many people who personify Ms. Sato’s expression: “There are many people who are alive but live like zombies.”
Some of them may have become exhausted by being cracked by the irrationalities of society, or have been suffering every day from excessive expectations by their companies. Also, some of them are responsible for their own demise, as they made wrong decisions in life. The “ki” or vital energy from them has a common negative, passive, and dark image.
■Live a Way of Life with Consideration and Class
On the other hand, in Japan now, if you ask if all the people taking actions based on having a positive and active way of thinking are all “lively and living humanly,” the answer is not necessarily “yes”. People who disregard others to satisfy their own desires, showing egoism, though living life with enthusiasm. People who ignore others for their own benefit. People who do not try to understand other’s efforts, burdens, sincerity and continue to gain from them endlessly, also fit the definition of the “living dead”.
The cause of this is that they live without a humane heart. The selfishness is active, rather than passive, and therefore, has become a negative legacy in society, by producing people, who are suffering and exhausted, one after another.
“The Black Gold”, a British independent film depicting the reality of the coffee industry, which continues to prosper, tells you the predicament of the commercial farms producing coffee. (The film is not screened in Japan.) The commercial farms can get only 1/1000 of the price of coffee, whose taste and flavor we fully enjoy.（Morning edition of the Tokyo Shimbun on February 21.）
We would like to take thought for the fact that our activities to enjoy the pleasure alone and to show our egoism, are forcing tough labor on others, and agonizing many people including those who live immensely apart from us. It is important to notice that our desire “to purchase even 1 yen cheaper only for myself” is the cause of producing worn-out people.
One of the proverbs of Mr. Kanjiro Kawai* says, “Going to purchase a product, going to purchase myself.” I believe that it is a graceful way of living to take into account other people’s feelings, which can not be seen with eyes, and be considerate of others, rather than gorgeously decorating your outlook.
*Mr. Kanjiro Kawai (1890~1966) was a Japanese potter, who was also active in writing. The only distinction among people is “whether they have class or not.” There is no one in between, so those who are without class are all vulgar. This is what I have learned from Mr. Tanaka, who lives in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. Currently in Japan, there has been more and more number of people, who are without class.
In order to realize a “Beautiful Country, Japan”, which Prime Minister Abe is aiming for, it makes more sense for Japanese people to become people whose way of living is with consideration and class. Such a way of living is exactly the way of living that of having “life even after passing away,” according to the words of Ms. Sato.
⇒ Chichi WEB (Japanese version)
