How have you all been? The weather has been changing, and it's getting darker in the mornings and evenings. The air has also become a bit cooler. It feels like autumn is finally approaching.
I’d love to prepare a shichirin grill and cook some pacific saury over a charcoal fire. I'd like to enjoy it with plenty of grated daikon radish and a large pacific saury that’s been grilled to a crisp, blackened by the oil from the fish. Doesn’t that sound delicious? Hopefully, we’ll get large pacific saury this year. Well, we’ll see how it goes.
Have you all heard the rakugo tale called "Meguro no Sanma" (The Pacific Saury of Meguro)? It’s a funny story, isn’t it? I first heard this rakugo on the radio when I was an elementary school student, more than 70 years ago. Grilling pacific saury over a charcoal fire using a Shichirin（a portable clay cooking stove） brings out its best flavor. The saury gets nicely blackened, and when you pour soy sauce over it, the sizzling sound makes your mouth water. It’s truly delicious.
To explain the story of "Meguro no Sanma": during the Edo period, Meguro was said to have been a place filled with dense woods. At that time, a lord (daimyo) had a completely different method of cooking pacific saury. After wandering around hunting, the lord wanted to eat, so he ordered his retainers to find some food. Finally, they reached a poor farmer’s house, and just as they were about to eat the pacific saury, they ended up paying the farmer some money for it. The saury was salted and grilled over a shichirin while being fanned vigorously, causing smoke to billow out. The fish was then thoroughly blackened by its own oil. Soy sauce was poured over the fish, making a sizzling sound as it was presented to the lord. The lord was shocked at first and asked, "What kind of fish is this black thing?" The retainer explained, "This is what common folk eat. But since we have nothing else to eat, please bear with it." However, upon tasting it, the lord found it so delicious that he said, "It’s no bother at all," and ate all five of the fish.
As autumn deepened, the skies cleared and the fish became even fatter and more flavorful, and the lord thought, "There’s no better fish than this." Unable to forget the taste, one day the lord requested that pacific saury be served at the castle. The cook, concerned about the lord’s health, carefully removed the bones, steamed, and grilled the fish, but when it was served to the lord, it had only a faint aroma of pacific saury. It was nothing like the oily, intensely flavored fish he had eaten before. In the end, the lord declared, "The pacific saury from Meguro is the best."
Enjoying dishes like dobimushi and sipping sake while listening to the sound of autumn insects really makes you feel that autumn is deepening.
The election season is upon us, and the result has been decided: Mr. Ishiba won. In the first round, Ms. Takaichi had a strong lead over Mr. Ishiba, but in the second round, she lost. I believe that her prior announcement of visiting Yasukuni Shrine had a significant impact. Even though Prime Minister Kishida had worked hard to build good relations with both China and South Korea, this situation quickly created a negative atmosphere.
Yasukuni Shrine enshrines war criminals, and Emperor Hirohito stopped visiting it due to his strong opposition. We, as Japanese, do not bear the responsibility for that war, but especially those in political power must carefully consider international relations. Going forward, Japan will need to actively engage with China and South Korea, whether we like it or not, and we must clearly communicate our views. While Chinese officials are in a difficult position, unless Japan clearly expresses its stance, no progress will be made. Some people appreciate Ms. Takaichi's bold and straightforward approach, but many others felt that Mr. Ishiba, despite his age, was the more experienced politician. I hope that the next prime minister will act in the best interests of the people and not deceive them.
Japan is becoming a country with a growing elderly population and fewer young people. If we don't make significant efforts to economize, the situation will become unsustainable. National income is decreasing, while costs are rising. Japan's national debt stands at 1,105 trillion yen, and 27.9 trillion yen goes toward paying interest and redeeming bonds. This amount increases every year. The government must find a way to handle this growing debt, possibly through a currency redenomination, though that is said to be difficult. The only option for the government may be to drastically reduce debt issuance and implement strict cost-cutting measures.
A quarter of the national budget is allocated to debt payments, and this amount cannot be touched. We, as Japanese people, are facing an aging population and a declining birthrate. With fewer workers, labor shortages will become a serious issue. Even if we try to bring in foreign workers, they may move to countries offering higher wages.
Japan, as an island nation, may still be in a somewhat better position, but consider the history of the United States. At one time, the British Empire forcibly brought Africans as slaves to meet labor needs. After the U.S. gained independence, it even purchased Alaska from Russia at a bargain price. Today, the population of African Americans is growing, and we have seen the election of African American presidents.
Therefore, we Japanese must look at the world in a calm and broad perspective and work smartly. Japanese people are generally honest, but we also need to be a bit clever, or we will fall behind in this world. Food, healthcare, and housing costs are all rising rapidly, leading to ongoing inflation. The value of the money we hold is dropping significantly.
It is said that by around 2050, the population of centenarians will reach 500,000. In 1963, the number of people over 100 years old was only 153. By 2023, there were 10,550 men and 81,589 women over 100. While this is a remarkable achievement, the costs associated with it are also enormous. We must thoroughly eliminate waste, especially in labor costs and unnecessary work.
Since the end of World War II, many Japanese students have studied hard in the United States. Among them, 28 individuals, including those who later acquired American citizenship, have received Nobel Prizes. Japan ranks seventh in the world, surpassing Russia. However, in the future, it is expected that fewer Japanese people will receive Nobel Prizes. This is because most of the Japanese Nobel laureates studied in U.S. universities. It’s rare for someone to win a Nobel Prize solely through studies at a Japanese university. This situation requires serious consideration. In Japan, it may be that superiors hoard power for themselves, unlike in foreign countries, where individuals are treated as equals. People who achieve results are properly recognized for their efforts.
Unfortunately, there seem to be fewer Japanese individuals with outstanding ideas in recent years.
In American baseball, Mr. Shohei Ohtani hit 51 home runs and stole 51 bases, an incredible feat. His record-breaking achievements will surely continue to rise. Congratulations, Mr. Ohtani! It must have taken immense effort and perseverance, but I’m sure he also enjoyed the process. We can all learn something from him, regardless of our age.
Even though my legs have weakened, I’ve improved a little by continuing to walk regularly, and that alone feels like significant progress.
Grandpas and grandmas, please stay healthy and strong. Husbands and wives, let’s support each other and live long, happy lives. For children, I recommend joining organizations like the Boy Scouts, where you can learn the beauty of nature from your seniors. Please learn the values of kindness, cheerfulness, and simplicity while enjoying camping, sitting around a campfire, and spending wonderful days together. Ask questions like, "Why do people study?" or "Why should we take care of the elderly?" and seek answers.
Farewell, and let’s raise good politicians.
Society for Improving Japan’s Politics
President of the Don Quixote Club, Kazunari Tsuruta
