■ English Page 2 ■
We are sorry this translation is not smoothed yet by native English
speaker. please wait for a bit.
- Chapter α -
P42;
Is life a dream or an illusion?
These days, KAMAYANN reflect on what has he done or where
he will go
It remind him that ups and downs of this town where his
stage of the life.
P43
In 1945, After air raid, KAMAYANN was the merely
bereaved.
Lonesome and strange life had begun.
Still he has a dream of the scene of that time.
P44;
In ‘50s, KAMAYANN used to be a ragman, shoeshine boy, and
tobacconist, or
odd-job man for cargo ships.
He was a unique street child in Naniwa, Japan who has no
time for getting
sentimental.
[Kamagasaki was a slum and shacks had jostled. Everyone,
men, women and kids
lived for dear life.]
P45
In early ‘60s, Became an orphanage then he spent half of
his life for
working for overseas cargo ships and being in this town.
[Japanese economy started the roll to take off. Young
labors from rural
district or ex-coal miners sustained this rise. Day labor
assembles market
showed an aspect how was the economic like and at that
time Kamagasaki was
an open-air market.
P46
[A view of Kamagasaki Ginza St. in early ‘60s]
P47;
In late ‘60s, because of construction manual work he
became a well muscled
man who like a cheep booze and TAKOYAKI-ball cake, with
somewhat smell of
sea. Being Happy-go-luck man.
[By Tokyo Olympic in 1964 and Osaka Exposition in 1970
were turning points
for jumping up of Japanese economy in the sky. These days,
full of job offer
rushed through in Kamagasaki with huge buses that came to
rake up labors.]
P48;
In ‘70s,
Yet, KAMAYANN had started to feel that he does not belong
in Japan, he liked
the town.
The town was neglected by ordinary people but free. He had
been brought up
with a mind of child since he was alone. He thought that
the town suits him
He looked like a cartoon character of the “DORAEMON”
and,
He was a kind of man who always spoke out “No problem.”
[Meanwhile Japan economics was flying up in the sky with a
favorable wind,
some people who could not catch up had drifted to
Kamagasaki. Some of them
settled and others had gone somewhere. Sometime the town
became a unique
place for both single-handed men and labors but not for
anyone else.
Its population came up 20,000 and there were more than 200
cheap
accommodations.
Kamagasaki was quite unique city space.]
P49
In ‘80s,
His mind that he felt himself was an outsider of the
society became the peak
in this era.
Faces of people passing streets seemed senseless robots or
reptiles.
He felt some solitary.
[Through out and overcome a couple of recessions, Japanese
capitalistic grow
to the top or being in “BUBBLE.” Somehow, its figure
turned like a plump
pig. It was natural that no way to fly for a pig any
longer.
The economic Bubble also brought a peak of hiring offer
that behind call up
for the hell of being out of job approached in a couple of
year later.]
P50
Today, We can recall that the riot braked after an
interval of 17 years in
October 1990 was a voice to the society that was in sick
with the Bubble.
[This picture is a copy from the book “HOTEL NEW
KAMAGASAKI.”]
P51
Some gap rise and lie between existence of KAMAYANN and
Japan for a long
time.
“I prefer being a hunger migratory to being like a
mechanical part of an
enterprise” KAMAYANN used to said so when he drunk at
stall bar.
KAMAYANN kept JP YEN, which he can use powerfully in third
world countries,
then more often turned his back to Japan. Spread his free
wings to the
world. He is a free man.
Or may be not that, but just there is no place for him in
Japan.
P52
KAMAYANN saw a lot of things, and walked through
A town in civil war, a village in poverty, islands with
beautiful palms, a
city covered with car pollution and slums looked like
Kamagasaki in ‘50s or
a country with discrimination.
He saw a country of worker. He had been in the north or
south.
P53
One day, he met a unique old man while travelling.
“You! A fellow. A man who shall plow up at the end of his
journey.” An old man said.
“Plow?”
“Yes. It means not cultivate for all but when you tired
for journey, come
to the end of your journey and set up a housekeeping then
be a citizen.”
“Citizen? What your mean of citizen.” KAMAYANN was
stunned.
P54
An old man guided his town. It totally differs that of
Japan. People in
there enjoy personal time but share a great deal for
discussion at
gatherings or through Internet, or put energy for sizes of
self-governmental
organizations. It seemed they were well being in
circulation.
Government offices were out of officialism. Information or
what ever was open.
Companies were not like enterprise. Funds or know how were
provided to public.
Politicians were not governors. They were clean and no
cozy relationship
with business.Of course there were some unique who are
ordinal in Japan.
A housewife came to talk him with smile, who is stranger
but without
heritage. ?Now adays, it is impossible at lonesome Japan.
Specially to a
lower class, like KAMAYANN-
“It looks not so but this town started from a burned ruin
after warfare.
Still under construction and each one should think how to
build it. Everyone
must head the cast.” She said.
P55
And an old man followed. “See KAMAYANN.”
“How did you know my name?”
“LIVING means, first of all, you must get a place to
impair the dignity. He
continued.
“Sure it. But recently number of homeless is growing
because of
unemployment in Japan and also other part of the world.”
“It is problem too. However, at the second, it is not
enough live in a
house as a case.
You must maintain comfortable relations to not only your
family but also
with your neighbors and then join to keep up your town to
reflect your will.
This is a procedure of build a lovely place at where
people want to live and
environment of the earth can be protected. This is called
“Development of
living ability.” This was declared at UN conference at
Istanbul, Turkey in
1996. Now, how about changing your course of life on this
way? End your
journey and have an eye on being a citizen of 21st
century.”
KAMAYANN stammered again. “Citizen of 21st century… It
sounds like social
class but…Something is wrong. Ah. Why your looks is alike
me? You are a
mysterious guy.”
P56
It was Jan. 17 1995 in between a trip to another for him.
He happened to work at a construction site in Kobe, Japan.
He just stood there in utter amazement. Great Kansai
Earthquake.
It was the second scene of burned ruins for his life.
KAMAYANN felt sorrowful. Japan had broken and it was
natural because Japan
was totally opposite of what he saw at the old man’s
town.
“What shall we do?” “What we missed for…”
Japan nor Kamagasaki, even himself would not be able to
stand well without
changing.
KAMAYANN began to think over.
P57
Now this grade school dropout guy transform himself to a
philosopher.
Feelings it is the first time in his life that thinking
something like this.
Meanwhile he was just a war orphan, he had had to move and
work for the
first thing.
Meditating itself make even a headache because of not do
so for a long time.
P59
KAMAYANN recall what the old man told him on the way of
trip.
“But, after all I will end my life as a drifter in this
town. It sounds not
so bud.
Like a HIKU poet; Mr. MATSUO BASHO, I will dead on
travelling that I like.
That’s my, my aesthetic. No way to turn…”
KAMAYANN look around the town of KAMAGASAKI in there
Wondering people who are looking for a day job by some
reasons. And,
Spreading shack hotels and eating-houses that merely
gather without order.
P60
Something flashed in his mind then survey another side of
view from a top of
the TSUTENKAKU tower.
There is another town with mess of buildings. It is a
typical view of Japan,
that disappoints people especially for visitors or
returnees from western
who just arrived at tinsel Kansai airport then looked
through a window of a
car when the pass.
There is a Japanese town at where neighbors seem only work
and sleep.
Something welled up in his mind. Some like combative
spirit.
Yes, people in this side are the same drifters as a point
of neglecting for
community reform or producing living space.
KAMAGASAKI is just a simple and easy guide to show, isn’t
it?
P61
“When you change yourself, Japan shall be changed. People
will get flurried
and surprised because they will find that even you are
trying to change.”
“Too rude!”
“Fight against it, KAMAYANN” Voice of the old man echoed
inside of him.
He must be my dad who I missed before I could have a
memory. It means that
the lady behind him was my mum? It must be a dream or
I’ve got aged. It is
the first time for him for sobbing with sorrow.
P62
Summer has come again. The season he became an orphan.
KAMAYANN determined. It is the time to break with
convention.
A small locust must ecdysiast at the end of long time
sleeping.
It will be none the worth off, even if it not work. There
is nothing to
loose after all.
He backs to normal. A man of optimism knows no bounds.
P63
“People may laugh on me but that’s nothing for me. After
a burst of
laughter, some of them may find what is some important.
Even KAMAYANN has begun to prepare the era of new value
with a mind of
hasty.
With a mind of if you want another day that differs as
usual, you must be
different as before.
P64
“So, what is it after all? From where shall I start?”
This is a question to move on.
“The author of mine said someday at the burned ruins
after the great
HANSHIN earthquake, that it shall be new relations of a
man to man.”
“Yes, I will start with setting up a family… Shoot!
I’ve forgot to have a
wife.”
He is estimated at age of fifty-five.
P65
However a chance has come.
One day, a new character “Flighty Boy; FUWAFUWA” has run
away to
Kamagasaki.
He is another type of drifter of today’s Japan.
Two of guys who have been thinking themselves have no
proper place in the
society.
This is a beginning of their partnership to grope of self
cast off and
realistic living.
With assistance of a local NGO (Non Governmental
Organization), they lend an
apartment room.
A challenge to live, challenge to be a citizen of 21st
century has begun.
P66
This book included stories that happened for four to five
years in middle of
‘90s.
This is a grand story with teardrops and full of
romantics… not likes that.
But re-arranged four-frame comic strips that had written
under conditions of
haphazardness carried by wind called deadline. With
concerning of mind of
KAMAYANN, though, He doesn’t care as usual.
HAW, HAW, HAW,
Thank you for your visit to my home page !
kama-yan@sun-inet.or.jp Comments
and Suggestions are always Welcome.