Thank you very much for reading this.
I have been in love with skiing most of my life. And I have strong
desire to spread this wonderful sports to all over the world.
By the way, I also love classical music all through my life.
If I could have another life, I would like to be a pianist. Hopefully
in my next life.
I have been very active in many sports, and I still am a competitive
swimmer, and a trampolinist.
The following part of this page shows more about myself.
When I was young, I strongly resisted accepting anything Japanese.
I could say that I hated Japanese way of thinking and feeling. For example,
I hated old Japanese literature. I disliked the persons, who appears in
those Japanese old novels. I could not share the value, the idea,
and the thought with those people in old Japanese books.
I rather liked Chinese classical literature. I liked the Greek mythology
the best.
I was perfectly fit to the program, which American government enforced
to Japanese after the 2nd. World War, War Guilt Programs. They tried to
brain washed us, and they tried to castrated Japanese mind. And I think
they succeeded in my case, until I deeply studied history.
In my teens, my mind was strongly influenced, and was dramatically
molded by the Beethoven's music. Then shortly after, Herman
Hesse's literature. Those two had the biggest influence over my mind. They
still have great power over me, and they still are the precious treasures
of mine.
They brought me up to a real person, who can think.
Then I started thinking not as a victim of the American War Guilt
Programs, but as a Japanese, who was born in 1955.
I have listened so many music, and have read so many literature.
Add to the music and literatures, swimming and skiing had strong
influence over my mind and my life.
I gave my best to both swimming and skiing.
Skiing became my profession, and swimming became the conditioning
tool to keep my healthy life.
Lately I swam a little too much to keep me in good condition.
Looking back my life, I enthusiastically idolized the western way
of thinking and their concepts till 40 years old.
Then gradually inclined to old Japanese way of grasping the universe.
One of the reason to this home coming was to have reread Taisetsu
Suzuki's books. Another reason was to read Inazo Nitobe's book 'Bushido'.
I found it ironical that both Suzuki and Nitobe's books were written
in English, in order to be read by English speaking people.
I found it also ironical that there are, even now, many
English speaking people who reads their books and value those books high.
It may be true that It was not western people but us Japanese, who forgot
the value of our own.
Many of my north American friends have read those books and love the idea
of Suzuki's and Nitobe's.
It may be us, Japanese, who have changed, or have been changed.
I found there are so many valuable things in our own roots.
I would like to seek those buried and covered valuable things in Japan,
make them recognized again and give them real lives again.
I believe they are needed more than ever now, in
this world, in our history.
Old Japanese economical thoughts, and our way to live harmonic with
nature are desperately needed by the earth now.
My experiences through skiing, swimming, classic music and
literature brought me to the stage to think this way.
So that I am going to write freely about my favorite things in this home
pages.
It will be my pleasure that some people notices those my favorite
things through this home pages.
Thank you very much for reading this.
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Herman Hesse
