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visitors since November 11, 2001.
My
Old, Sweet Homeland, "KOBE"
STORIES ON KOBE & FRIENDS
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I
was born in City of Kobe, a rather small port-town in Japan compared
with other megalopolises like Tokyo and Osaka. I am a 'Kobekko'
born and bred. This short note is devoted to describing my old,
sweet homeland, City of Kobe. However, because I left Kobe about
twenty years ago, my description might include many dreams and hopes
which should be still alive in Kobe, hopefully.
If
anybody feels uncomfortable about this description, you can return
to the original page just pushing .
My
old, sweet homeland, City of Kobe:
Birth
Date: The Details are Not available for public.
Place:
The Details are Not available. Anyway, I was born in Kobe during/after
the "2nd" World War period. Uptown of Kobe would
be the right place for my birth place.
Anyway,
I need to describe about the geographical position of Kobe. You
can identify Kobe as one of the most important port cities in
Japan since World War until Yokohama and Osaka became larger than
Kobe. When I was a boy, Kobe was one of the largest ports in Japan.
All the imported goods are gothered to Kobe, all the exporting
goods are also gothered here. In that sense, Kobe was the center
of all the sense of foreign goods, smells and tastes.
My
Childhood spent in Kobe:
Because
my father's office was located in Kobe since my birth, my childhood
had been in Kobe continuously. That means, I am a "Kobekko" born
and bred.
What
does Kobekko mean? : Person who was born and bred in Kobe and/or
any person who loves and lives in Kobe. We call them 'Kobekko'
like a 'Parisian'. The characteristics of 'Kobekko' are open-minded,
progressive and new goods/ideas lovers.
The
Big Bang, or Earthquake in 1995, Jan. 17 was the severest impact
to all of the Kobe area and my old, sweet home was also destroyed
by the quake. The Central Government did nothing for Kobe... My
beloved Kobe is not alive now. I pray for the people who was killed
during the quake.
The
impacts are still viewed even now, 1998. All the burdens given
by the quake are still on the shoulders of the victims of the
quake.
I
have no intention to continue this story. I am quitting the complaints.
Why
is Kobe so fantastic?
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You
can find many people from outsaide of Japan all over Kobe. Why
do they like Kobe? We Japanese do not call them 'Gaijin' in
Kobe. They are one of our citizen. As far as I am concerned,
from my childhood, I have seen many non-Japanese people; main
nationalities would be China, Korea, India, U. S., U. K., Germany,
Scandinavia and Russia. In these days, many are from Brazil
and Middle/Near East and South-East Asian countries.
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Many
Kobekko's fathers are not born in Kobe; many are from western
area of Japan. Therefore, they have very few relationship with
their originate homestead, because their fathers are second
or third sons at their homestead and have no place to return
back to live in. Their homesteads are now in KOBE, like many
non-Japanese in Kobe. There is no way to differentiate them
from Japanese Kobekko. All are in the same situation. They live
there, they work there, they play there, they eat and drink
there. Their leisure time is spent there.
-
The
Japanese pronunciation in Kobe is called some kind of 'Kansai'
dialect, which is softer than the Standard Pronunciation which
is dominant in Tokyo area. Their 'sotto voce' is very comfortable
to talk each other even with the non-Japanese people. Their
motto is 'they work to live/eat/play' and not 'they eat to work.'
Therefore, you can find many places just for fun/eat/drink/play
in Kobe and nearby vicinity of Kobe. You can go to the seaside
within half an hour and at the top of 3,000 feet high mountains
within half an hour. You can enjoy even spa (hot spring) within
half an hour at the back of Rokko Mountains by car.
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You
might know the taste of Kobe beef, which is famous for the product
made from beer-drunken cows. Kobe beef is best for steaks. You
may know Nada's Japanese wine, or 'sake' from eastern Nada area.
Now, city of Kobe has founded some wineries at the top of Mount
Rokko farms. You are now able to enjoy the fruity white, rose
and traditional red wine.... Just for your reminder, you might
enjoy raw fish or various fish dishes, if you don't mind, because
these fish are very fresh from the fisherman's wharf or fisher
ports located near the seashore of the city. Off course, you
can enjoy a lot of whiskies and other spirits which are imported
from all over the world. Kobe is the most famous trade center
and import/export port in Japan.
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You
can enjoy sea bathing in the summer season and enjoy skiing
in the winter season very easily. You need not travel three
or four hours to arrive at there. The places are nearby vicinity
of Kobe. Your view in Kobe could be China town, or old western
style streets or old residences of foreigners before the wars.
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Why
are there many people from outside of Japan inhabitant
in Kobe?
We never call them "Gaijin" as many others call
them. From more than one hundred year ago, there had been
many of
them. They are the first and we are the novice there. Many
Japanese
are there from other part of Kobe; therefore, we, even Japanese,
are not used to paw over the others. We won't do so for non-Japanese
people, too. They always feel comfortable if they live in
Kobe. They are not looked up even they are strolling in the
central
shopping malls. They are not completely differentiated at
all.
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In
fact, a small town Uozaki located near central Kobe is found
on a one hundred years old map, which certifies that Kobe is
old by itself.
-
All
over the world, atmosphere of all the port towns is similar
each other. It's very natural that we find many people from
outside of Japan, and it gave us a series of merits of their
asset and investment activities. One of the rich traders had
developed the oldest and nicest golf course on Rokko mountains.
Anyway, we have many presents from them, which make Kobe interesting
and attractive. It's not my business, anyway.
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However,
I have many stories concerning Kobe. I am very proud of Kobe.
Is there anybody who wants to listen to the old man's grumbling?
Boast
about Kobe:
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In
front of Kobe, we have a sea, the Seto Inland Sea. Moreover,
there are a variety of seashores, where we can swim five minutes
after you think of it. On the back, there are a series of mountains,
around 3,000 foot height, Rokko Mountains. Cross over there,
we have Arima hot springs. If you are rich enough, then you
have a vast selection of spending time at your leisure sooner
than you think them over. I was not informed of the new tunnels
which cross the Rokko mountains; however, they are very convenient
for those who are hurrying to the SPA areas with your drunkard
old friends at the midnight. Twenty years ago, you had to cross
the mountains via mountainous roads carefully driving a car.
You might have always used a limo for your purpose.
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If
you are a gourmet, there is nowhere better than Kobe. You
will
find everything is delicious in Kobe. Kobe beef comes first,
off course. In Kobe, we call them just "meat", which
means "beef". Fish is the second to come. The clean
water of the Seto Inland Sea is still famous, which is my
belief. You find a variety of fresh fish at the fish shops
which are
near the seashore before noon. They give you afternoon haul
of fish. If you prefer to fresher fish, then go to Tarumi
or Akashi, where you will be astonished to find a lot of
octopuses
scrawling around. But, you should find others than octopuses
which are more delicious. All the fish you find there are
taken from the Seto Inland Sea area. They are the most delicious.
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First
of all, I should have quoted "Sake", "Nada's
purest Sake". In these days, many local breweries are claiming
that their "Sake" is the real "Sake" and
Nada's one is the fraudulent. I don't really mind at all. Everybody
should go on their taste. You should rely on your keen palate.
There is an epidemic that "local Sake" is the real
and good taste. O.K. If you like them, please go there. But,
think about that you should be able to judge the taste by
yourselves, not on others' reputation.
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We
love whisky, too. Off course, whisky should be Scotch and not
Yamazaki's fake whisky, as you might imagine. In Kobe, we could
have been able to taste Scotch from old time, because all the
imported whisky arrived at Kobe port and served at the bars,
where the people from U. K. and U. S. are coming to drink a
shot of real whisky. Yamazaki is not located in Kobe, for your
information.
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Next,
Fashion. All the women in Japan are looking at the Kobekko's
fashion. Kobe is the origin of fashion information to all Japanese
women. My pleasure to visit Kobe in these days has been to be
filled with the Kobe's fashion environment when I take a ride
on Hankyu railways. However, I sometimes find many young ladies
who do not like Kobekko. Many of them do not Kobe dialect and
Tokyo dialect, instead. I don't like Tokyo dialect. I hate it.
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Next,
All sorts of Sweets. You might not have thought about it, almost
all the western cake companies originated from Kobe. Juchheim,
Freundlieb, Fugetsudo, Donk bakery, Goncharov, Morozov, or manufacturers
of chocolates. You cannot spend any one day without dreaming
of these sweets made in Kobe.
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Lastly,
a vast number of superb restaurants. You will find any
kind of restaurants everywhere while you are staying in
Kobe.
From
western cuisine to Ethnic one. Off course, many Chinese restaurants.
If you prefer beef, then the first selection should be "King's
Arms". If French, then go to "Escargot" and
if you prefer beer now, then go to "Gaslight pub", "New
Muenchen Embassy Beer Hall". You can find any restaurant
which you want. Eel restaurant "Chikuyoutei",
Chinese restaurant "Bekkan Botan-en", for
jiao-zi, or steam-baked meat pie, then go to the dirty
place "Hyo-tan". Noodles
are at "Masaya" and for superb coffee, the you
cannot forget "Nishimura" where all the water
is Miyamizu or Rokko-mountains' natural water.
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In
fact, I cannot continue writing...any more.
Why
yoooouuu left KOBE
and
Gone
to TOKYO,
haven't you??!!
All
the days are now full of regrets:
I
used to work at the central laboratory of a manufacturing company
for about ten years; however, I had been there only part of the
years. I spent one year at M.I.T., Mass, USA for refreshing my
Systems Engineering knowledge, and stayed at site of a famous
steel company for the installation of Rolling Mills Computer Control
System. I, also, have a joint research with one of the famous
think tank in Japan for designing a new transportation systems
based on user's view point. Evaluating the systems in terms of
social impact was the main theme of the research. I have also
implemented a large scale questionnaire survey to study about
transportation users' behavior. All the ten years were devoted
for Systems Engineering research, practice and implementation.
As
you know, research laboratory is a concentration of men with strong
personality. Because of some political conflict of my boss, he
left the company; I was not allowed to do what I wish and want.
I was, at that stage, not able to continue my study and research
as a systems engineer. My umbrella, a director of the main office
resigned. And, I was forced to fly away from Kobe to Tokyo.....without
any weight and limitation.
In
fact, I moved to Kamakura, not Tokyo, where there is no difference
at all. Yokohama looks similar to Kobe; however, Chinese restaurants
here are not like those in Kobe. Many people are enjoying there,
but I couldn't enjoy their cuisine because they are not so tasty.
I have never experienced any better Chinese restaurant here afterward.
Off
course, I took a job of a systems engineer there, because I just
wanted to do the job and they promised that laboratory would be
better than the central research laboratory if I want to continue
it. Whole the story there are written on the Systems Engineer's Job (Japanese only) page.
Even
though you are satisfied with your job, you may not be satisfied
with your private life. We are forced to chat in Tokyo dialect
and not in Kansai dialect. In Tokyo, many people speak directly
and not accustomed to hedge the direct attach. No joking and less
sense of humor in normal life and while working at office. Their
aim is to win the discussion and not get the correct answer. I
am completely tired of the environment of Tokyo from day to day.
We,
Kansai people, are used to point to the most important part as
we want and let the other parts as they want. We enjoy the process
to reach at the correct and better result during chatting jokes
and pushing discussions. We rather fond of jokes in bad and poor
taste. All the members of my family were jostled for the time
and all my kids have now forgotten traits of Kansai and Tokyonized
completely. They are not Kansai-born people. Wife and myself are
only Kansai..
My
home is located on top of a mountain, near Yokohama. You cannot
reach my home by car. You need to climb up stairs. On the west,
you can see bamboo trees and a small field to grow cabbages
and
pumpkins. On the south, you have a grand look of sea, and a bridge,
and one of the tallest building "Landmark Tower".
If you wish to go to seashore, it will take more than two hours
by car, and to the mountains, it will take another two hours
if
you are lucky enough not to encounter traffic jam. The destination
which you wished so much would be a crowded cramped park. We
are
always urged to go back home.
These
are my regretful stories.
And
then,
Anyway,
I have been trying my best to work as a Systems Engineer as you
read in Systems
Engineer's Job, which is the raison d'etre of my coming to Tokyo. If I cannot
do a job which is concerned with Systems Engineering, then I
have
no "raison d'etre" any more and needn't stay here; however, as
an employer of a company, I cannot say "No!!" and not possible
to change my job. Many years have already passed away around
myself
in vain.
Song
of Homeland
(Poem by Muroo Saisei, Melody by Isobe Toshi)(A tentative translation)
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Your
homeland stays there,
You just need think of it, far away,
You just croon and weeping.
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Even
though you went down to
A beggar in a foreign land,
You won't go back there.
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You,
alone, in the dusk of the city,
You just think it over weeping,
You just think it over weeping.
Even
though I accept my fate,
I wish I were back there, far away,
I wish I were back there, far away.
We
sang this song last November stage.
The
story in the future should be known now, you do say? It could
be determined by myself surely; however, I cannot determine it.
Nobody could do it! I will be living at a virtual world, in the
future, not in Kobe. The image of Kobe will be dimming out, and
won't be seen soon, and will be disappeared...May
I be back to Kobe, Kansai before they disappear. Nobody knows....
Bye now.
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AT THE PRESENT TIME: LAST UPDATED ON AUG. 7TH,
2003.
Now, nothing changed
since I last posted the site here. I still live
in Kanto area, where everything is going jerky. Why am I
live here, most hated place? I don't feel any necessity
to live here, anymore after thirty years of labouring days. I
don't think,
however, I or we, with my wife, will return to
Kansai, or Kobe, anytime in the near future. You may know the
famous Chinese
verse, which says that "You will find your
place to pass away, even though you go any place." I
do remember when I left Kobe, my sweet home land,
to have a high ambition and
went to Tokyo, or Tokyo University. It is one of
the highest-ranked University in Japan and studied
to become a wunderkind. I spend
six years
since I was eighteen years old there and returned
to Kobe successfully to join M. Company to work
with. That was a miracle to obtaine
a chance to live in Kobe forever; however, I lost
only one chance to continue to live in Kobe by
denying a generous offer given
by a famous, great and clear-eyed man, Mr. Muroga,
to join him or Kobe laboratories of M. Company.
I refused his offer,
saying that "I do have a real thing which
I want to do now. I cannot join you now." I
was too proud in mind to accept his offer. Please,
forgive my arrogance, Muroga-san. If I had
ductility mind at that time, then I could continue
to live in Kobe and enjoyed all the happiness to
live there for at least
twenty years since then. It is one of my greatest
mistakes I have experienced until now. If I could
live again, I would have
accepted his offer, and after twenty years in Kobe,
I might be in Tokyo for a while as a high ranked
executives and return to
Kobe after retirement. I feel very sorry, Mr. Muroga,
Mr. Chatani... I have too many people to say just "sorry." I
have also many people to hate, "Dr. Baba
Jun", "Dr.
Itoh", "Dr. Uemura", "Dr.
Shimoji".
I dislike them and remind me the worst period when
I was working at the Central Laboratories of M.
company. They were
something like monkeys or gorillas in zoo "Mitsubishi" just
walking within a small community which they faked
out by themselves, for themselves. If I didn't
follow or obey their instruction,
or weird idea conceived abruptly, then I was forced
to go out of their monkey-n-gorillas fake zoo.
I was even lucky enough
to left there.... I have another person whom I hate
most. He, or she, I don't know, is Kondoh.
Kondoh is a nelly boy, I don't know the truth,
but I am quite sure and
can identify from his behavior.
I
am still snobbish and DO
NOT REMORSE, DO NOT BE INTROSPECTIVE, AND DO NOT LISTEN TO
OTHERS, AND AM
VERY CONTENT WITH WHAT I
HAVE DONE AND PERFORMED UNTIL NOW. I still continue this attitude
for all the events and occasions. Only one exception of this
policy is that "I should be obedient to Mr. Muroga's invitation
to go to Kobe Labo. If I were so, I lived another life since
then and I do not have so many enemies like Dr. ....s and Mr./Ms.
Kondoh, and others. My kids would speak Kansai dialect
or Kobe dialect and understand our bad jokes, which they do not
understand
at all right now. All my kids do not have any of traits of Kansai
people. They understand all the words we speak as they are. There
are no cultural refinements which are much ubiquitous within
Kansai people. I used to wait for the third call when I were
given any invitation or any offer. I would never accept any offer
or invitation until the third ones. If they gave me invitations
for three sequential times, then I would accept them. That's
our rule in Kansai, or rather Kyoto culture. There are some micro-cultures
even in the small area of Kansai, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. We
can identify them each other. I am not behave as Osaka or Kyoto
people, because I was born in Kobe. Kobekko is very easy, lighthearted
people. Lighter than a film or sheet of paper. You will fly to
anywhere by a crisp breeze. Kobekko lives very nonchalantly lives
and do not care about petty details. They do not care about you,
even you stay next to you and what you do next you them. That's
not their concern. You are you and they are theye. However, they
are very kind and warm-hearted guys or gals. Very very kind and
the nicest people in Japan, as far as I know and concerned.
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As I described above, you can find various cuisines
and restaurants where serves you specially delicious foods, and
you will look for, at fantastic dresses, clothings and accessories
made in Kobe and imported from Italy or France. You also will
be pleased to find nice and stylish, tastefully dressed women
or young girls anywhere in Kobe. Seafoods and beefs are one of
the nicest you can enjoy, because there are the sources for these
foodstuff nearby Kobe. It won't take more than hours until you
can buy the foodstuffs after being fished. I hate some kinds
of cultivated fish at farms. The only fish I eat are from nearby
sea-ports.
The pleasant sunshine which you can experience in Kobe is quite
different from other cities in Japan. Because
of the inland sea, Setonaikai, the sunshine is bright and dazzlingly
brilliant.You
can enjoy these brilliant atmospheres in Kobe,
a little different from Southern resort areas. I always sing a
song like, "I
might be dead under the brilliant sunshine,
as I am now and I will be happier than others." The smell
of seashore, octopus, conger eel, etc. are among them. I
always gourmet as for cakes. FreundLieb, not Henri-Charpentier
which I don't like, is superb among the famous cake bakeries in
Kobe. Recently,
we found a nice cafe at the basement of Sogo Department Store,
Yokohama. At that cafe, UCC, we can enjoy full aroma coffee
at decent price with some of cheese cake, which we feel the best
one we have eaten. Why don't you try the UCC cafe, instead
of Starbacs horrible coffee. (Jan. 20th, 2005)
Anyway,
you cannot joking in Kanto. They would not listen you if you
joking. They will not take up the paronomasia??,
or cheap humor. I was always looked at coldly, when I used bad
puns. Now, I believe in the error of "the transfer of power
back to the Emperor" made more than one hundreds years ago
in Japan. If it were not, the capital of Japan should be Kobe,
or Kyoto, anywhere in Kansai, not in Kanto. I do not like to
have the center of power in Kobe; however, Tokyo is the worst
choice for the capital of Japan.
I
am so much eager to return to Kobe. I
won't dare to die at Kanto. Never!! NEVER!!
I should have been your
son, obedient son and said "YES" to
transfer to your place, at Kobe Factory.
I'm so sorry, Mr. Muroga. Now is the
time, isn't it. I would be free like a breeze of sea-wind. However,
the reality is that I am more than sixty years old, and no choice
to move into Kobe anymore. No place to live over there. No place
to work, over there.
My life, afterwards, would be devoted to beauty, something beautiful
and comfortable; enjoy Opera-going, singing Italian old arias,
or Arie Antiche Italiane, drawing or painting pictures, or enjoying
paintings in oil, etchings nearby you and me. I have already
collected some paintings of Mr. Saeki Hiroshi of Kobe, Mr. Sakaguchi
Noriyoshi, Mr. Inoguchi Yutaka, and Mr. Jean Pierre Cassigneul,
etc. I will go to overseas just enjoying the times to be spent
in these old, matured cities, and enjoy listening to Operas,
Symphonies, Songs, and looking at painted pictures, and enjoy
dishes of my favorite, of course, beer and whisky.... AND, I
would like to loose weight and become slim, and enjoy nice costumes,
black tie and tax. I would like to coming-out to society as a
nice lady, or no, as a gentleman. I would need dress instead
of tax, if I would be coming-out as a lady..... I'm afraid I
would be too old at that time.
Very
recently, a male choir, to which I've been belonging,
has made a great
jump: O. K. A great performance
in the Netherlands, or Holland, Delfzijl, at
a big event named "Delfsail 2003". It was
made upon request from the city of Delfzijl and stayed
there for a week. I
eagerly wanted to be
there with the members; however, the severe
situation of the family made it impossible to be there.
I was the first
contact
man from a gentleman in Holland, named Gerard,
a very gentle and aggressive person. He and his wife
made a complete
support
for the choir, and the superb and excellent,
impressive performance of the choir should mainly be
devoted to them. You can see
the news here.
Anyway, I will return to Kobe and never die
even I would be killed. My heart would be there, even when
I would
be passed away in the future. I am planning
to live until age 110. Therefore, I believe I would have
enough chance to be
back to Kobe. My heart never live in Kanto.
My inclination and devotion to serve "Systems Engineers" is
to return the help and services which were given me from
my great seniors
at school, Universities, companies where I
worked for, and communities for which I devoted myself for
so long time. My
trial would not be effected by place where I live in. If
you are annoyed by my complaints and mumblings, then I would
say "Bye-bye". You may feel free to return to
your more pleasant place at my sites. If
you are not satisfied at my sites 100%, then I would recommend
you to return back
to my sites. You can send my e-mails to send
your words. My beloved Kansai-jin and Kobekko's. Let me have
your comments
and advices and encouragements, especially
in Kobe dialect. Now, it's the time to say Good Night, now.
To
be continued...
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LAST
UPDATED ON Jan. 20th, 2005.
I feel some activities by myself, don't I? As you might know every
year, my NEW YEAR CARDs are a little radical and sensational in
design. I always have the cards printed by a professional printer
and send them to my friends and others, just want to say hello
as our every-year habitual activity. However, some are increasingly
returned as dead letters now and then, which feel me desolation.
Some friends write me that they are already living pensionersﾕ
lives and like just cultivating plants and vegetables at their
yards at country. As Iﾕm at the same year of age and should be
back to Kansai-area now; however, I cannot return to my home-land
because of many issues around me and us. Even though my life is
like a mountain hermit nearby a bamboo forest, I feel not satisfied
by the operation of my company TEP Systems Laboratories, International.
I donﾕt know why.
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ちょっとお休み
Let's have a break.
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-TH VISITOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE!!
