Rapunzel

It was a beautiful day today! Before Christmas, it had been rainy and cloudy but on Christmas, sun came back. When sun comes out, it is warm. Especially in winter, we appreciate the warmth of sun.

Thank you for your season's greetings, everyone!! I hope all had a wonderful Christmas and will have a happy holiday. And thank you very much for your lasting friendship!! I am a happy and lucky woman!!

On Christmas, I watched "Tangled". The title in Japan was "Rapunzel on top of the tower". I was supposed to watch it at theater but it was officially released on March 12th 2011 in Japan, the next day of the Earthquakes. After the disasters, trains stopped. Although a few movies were on schedule, they might had been cancelled due to the rotated blackout. In addition to that, many were afraid of going to crowded, small and dark places while aftershocks continued.
Considering those days, Japan recovered a lot although the damaged areas are still recovering. For 25 years from next month, we have to pay for "Special Reconstruction income tax". Under the new government, our consumption tax may be raised in the nearest future. Our hardships continue....
Whenever we see dark gloomy sides, we can't stop counting. So we just shift our focus from dark sides to bright sides. The more we think in a positive way, the more we can attract positive reality, I believe.

So finally, I could watch Rapunzel! It became my another favorite Disney story along with "Beauty and the Beast"!!

Enjoy the music titled "See the light"!
And I happened to find its sequel which was funny.
Please enjoy both!!

 

 

open-minded Japanese Buddha

Japanese tend to accept all kinds of religions. We are originally Shintoist. Buddhism came to Japan in the 6th century. We mixed Shinto and Buddhism, and call it Syncretistic Religions. We still have a Buddhist temple and a Shinto shrine at the same precinct. We visit both and offer money to both at the same time.

In the 16th, Christianity came to Japan. After historical controversy, we don't have any state religion now although most of us are cremated according to the Buddhism way.

We are basically very flexible to religions. We celebrate Christmas and go to a temple or shrine on the New Year.

One of my friends introduced this unique video. Buddha celebrates Christmas in Japan!!

It's very funny even to us!! The Japanese characters on the video were all comments from the viewers. They were also surprised!!

Please enjoy watching until the last!!!!

 

Beautiful Life

Christmas is coming soon!! I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy Holiday!!!

It is the winter solstices today(Dec. 21). We eat pumpkins wishing for wealth and take a bath with citrus fruits wishing for good health on the winter solstices.

I also wish you wealth and health!!!!

I went to a concert of my favorite artist, Masaharu Fukuyama with my sister. This has been our year-end event for several years.

It is a 10-day concert tour at the same place. 18,000 each day and 180,000 for 10 days. He is the first male artist in Japan who has such a long-day concert tour at the same place.

We had a wonderful time before the year 2012 ends. I like all of his songs but especially love this song titled "Beautiful Life" This song is a commercial song for Japan's cosmetic company, SK-Ⅱ. He wrote this song for all women. I want to be like a woman in his lyrics

 

(music and lyrics by Masaharu Fukuyama)

I have hated people without knowing how to forgive them
"They should hate me like I hate them."
I have deceived myself by telling this lie

with you who are beautiful, I feel I can start all over again
with your heart knowing only forgiving can change things

your smile everybody can see and your genuine face nobody can see
between them and in this daily life
wish I can find genuine joy

I can't be innocent enough to believe everything about myself
but while doubting, it's not easy to
get over this journey, I know

with beautiful you, I feel I can be reborn
with your heart choosing to believe although you are hurt

I like you both being at a loss and keeping looking for.
giving up and not giving up
if you suffer between them, I am the same
I am the same

with beautiful you, I can feel life is beautiful
with your heart choosing to accept although you are betrayed

YOU others wishing who you should be and YOU you wishing who you want to be
between those differences and in those contradictions
wish I can connect with people I don't want to loose
wish I can smile together
with you

(translation by Chiaki)