Hoping to see Kitty and Yumiko again many more time in Japan and/or in the States in the future.
Wednesday, the 13th of July 2016, on the way back home from the Conference on the International Family violence and Child Victimization Research held in Portsmouth, NH I was extremely pleased to make a brief visit with my American family in the New England area.
MaryAnn Hatch lives in RiverWoods Retirement Community-Exeter, NH (CCRC: Continuing Care Retirement Community: RiverWoods Retirement Community), and was a leading figure to establish the first campus of RiverWoods in 1994 ( RiverWoods History and Mission). My American sister, Hanni Hatch Schwartz took me to RiverWoods to see MaryAnn Hatch, now at the age of 94. Drawings behind MaryAnn were those drawn by her.
Thanks to Hanni’s tremendous assistance I was successful in depositing cash by money order through the post office in Exeter to my bank account with Cambridge Trust in Massachusetts. Then, I had an opportunity to visit briefly Hanni and Tom’s pretty new house in Newburyport. The house is surrounded by a lot of greens and flowers with two cats, Shamu and Ginger. Then, they were so kind to take me for dinner with Larry Blake who has been helping me in editing and rewriting my English book publications. After the dinner, Hanni and Tom were so kind to drive to take me to the Airport Garden House, nearby Logan International Airport as I must be at the airport before 5a.m. in the morning of Thursday. Thanking all the hospitality that Hanni and Tom extended to me, and hoping to see them again before too long.
Who believe that Mr. Yukio Nakano, a classmate of Hibiya High School, whom we visited in Minami-Boso less than a year ago past away at the beginning of May. It was good, however, that a very fine farewell ceremony was held at the church he attended in Tateyama, Chiba prefecture on Sunday, the 12th of June 2016. Many people from all walks of his life gathered together to say good-bye to him. He was truly a nice-guy, and we miss him very much.
Exactly a year ago I visited Ken Kono in St. Davis in Philadelphia to find him in a total frail condition. Who could in the world imagine that he was at Minami-Aoyama in Tokyo! He spent a miracle, and energetic one week in Tokyo with his usual humors, and smiles. Taking a long flight from Philadelphia Ken, Kitty, Yumiko, and Jessica visited Tokyo from the 24th to the 31st of May. On the historic day of Friday the 27th, the same day as the sitting US President Barack Obama visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial site, Hibiya classmates made a wonderful visit with him to compare our notes.
Takeo Mogami, Harumitsu Machijiri, and Atsushi Matsumoto were especially resourceful for assisting, planning, and organizing their stay in Tokyo pleasant. It was good that people enjoyed good conversations over the six different kinds of snacks I prepared, i.e., potato salad, inari-sushi, kara-age, devil's eggs, banana cake, and apple pie with gyoza crests. Many of the classmates seemed to be surprised to see my hidden talent of cooking. It was amazing, and in a sense frightening indeed that gazing at me cheerfully Ken even ate a piece of devil's egg!
We all look forward to the Kono’s return in the fall of next year.
It was an enjoyable moment to get together at the Hibiya Graduates’ Art Exhibit held in Kamakura in August 2015.
Dear Ken,
Just to drop a line to tell that I am so pleased to see you again. It was the first time I saw you since you have been found with Parkinson’s disease. You wrote to ask me if I would come to participate in the Hibiya class of S37 reunion in 2011. The true reason for my not coming to such occasion any longer is not for what I wrote, but for what I explained to you. At any rate, it was just too heartbreaking to see you impaired. At the same time, I am so pleased to see you extremely alert, determined, and positive. Thus, please do not to be too independent. We know well that your inner self is as energetic as before. The below are some of my observations:
1. Alert:
The moment you saw me, you said “You’ve changed the frame of your eye-glasses.” Yes, I did. I have been wearing the same model of the eye-glass frame ever since I met you first in Kent, Ohio. Ms. Gilchrest helped me to choose it right before I met you first in November 1970 when I had to purchase a new frame. It was the one that got the top design award of the year with the model number ingrained. Thus, I purchased the second one in 1978 in Oneonta, NY, and the third one in 1988 in Ann Arbor, MI while I was teaching these places.
After cataract surgeries on both my eyes at the end of April, I was desperate to renew my prescription glasses. It is usually the case that we must wait for three months or so after the surgeries before making the new prescription glasses. Although I can now read well without glasses, it is too difficult to work on the desk-top PC with which I spend a great deal of my time every day. Thus, I persuaded the ophthalmologist to write new prescriptions. He kindly did, and my new glasses were ready by mid-May. Thus, Ken, you were the first one who pointed out the change in my eye-glass frame! It was a total surprise to find you remember things so well. You are more than alert than anyone else.
2. Determined:
Ken, you asked, “How are you doing?” Then, I responded, ”Just went through cataract surgeries, suffering from high BP, and cervical spondylosis.” Then you pointed out, “That’s nothing.” You are perfectly right. In comparison to what you have been going through, they are just too trivial to mention. Thanks to Kitty’s total dedication and with your determination to be independent I am certain that you will come out of the darkness. Remember Ken, however, at times please be dependent on, show your weakness, and cry over Kitty’s shoulder. We are human and need catharsis. We all know well that you are strong, mighty, and determined to be independent.
3. Positive:
Despite the physical difficulties that you must endure, I am pleased to know that you are looking forward to visiting Japan this fall. Your positive attitudes toward the life are just admirable, and we must emulate the same. I look forward to seeing you again while your upcoming visit to Tokyo, hopefully in October. Instead, however, should it were in November at the time of Hibiya Class-S37 reunion, let me visit you in person. Although I would love to have you and Kitty visits me home, it would be difficult to materialize, I am afraid. I gave up driving in Japan now… BTW, I got my driver’s license in Oneonta, NY. While I was teaching at Kyorin I drove 60km to the campus, and stayed at the faculty housing for two or three nights every week, and drove back home for 60km. Twenty-five years of doing so was enough of my driving, especially on narrow and super congested roads.
I am certain that you will continue to be alert, determined, and positive. Let me reiterate, however, at times please feel free to be dependent, cry, and show your emotions and frustrations. We all know that your spirit is independent, alert, determined, and positive.
With all my best,
Fumie
Fumie Kumagai plays on the flute, Anton Bernhard Furstenau: "Rondo brilliant: Opus 102" with flutist Ms. Mayumi Shibano and pianist Ms. Aya Mukaiyama at Fujisawa City Hall on Sunday, March 18, 2012.
Flowers are those from Masa Tsuneyasu and Narumi Nishio-Kishimoto, the seminar graduates. We exchanged nice conversation to refresh our recent developments!
The day in Surugaji was so enriching that we regained fresh energies for the year. Kaori Hashimoto and I took a day bus tour in late January. It was cold outside, but we had a comfortable ride during the trip Suruga being abundant of fresh foods we enjoyed see-foods, wasabi, yokan, tea, and so forth.
Below are some of the snapshots taken during the occasion.
It was good to see Aya Murakami-Tamada, Zhou JinYun, Ayano Kushibuchi, and Mami Tanoguchi all in good spirits. I am extremely pleased to have observed them e gotten matured a lot since they graduated from Kyorin. It seems as if what they learned and tried extremely hard through the seminar work gave them significant impacts on their making. With all my best for their future success!
Below are a few of the snapshots taken during the occasion.
Uncle Kiyohiko’s burial ceremony was held at Kuhonbutsu-Jyoshin-ji Temple on November 20, 2010. I am certain that he is now happily reunited all his family members including Aunt Emiko, Aunt Miyako, and my mother Yuri. At the same time, the occasion brought us the reunion of relatives. To me it has been a long interval since I met most of them, for 20 years, 40 years, or as long as nearly a half century. Thanks to our long lasting friendship, however, we were easily time-slipped to our old days. Hope to see them again soon.
Below are some of the snapshots taken during the post-burial dinner held at the Temple.
Fumie Kumagai delivered a paper on “Changes, Continuities, and Regional Variations of Japanese Family” at the Workshop on Family Changes held at the Academia Sinica in Taipei during October 10-13, 2010. Besides the academic stimulation it was good to renew our friendship. Nevertheless, it had been a real rush trip as it was held in the midst of the fall semester. Hope to come back there again in more leisurely manner in the not too distant future.
Below are some of the snapshots at the Workshop.
For more photos on the occasion, please look at the following websites:
●Fumie Kumagai’s HP: Professional & Academic Meetings
It was very kind of Kaori Hashimoto, my best friend that she suggested to visit Seikenji Zen-Temple in Okitsu, Shizuoka. She was most generous to spend the whole day with me graciously. I am certain that everyone I prayed for there were pleased to see both Kaori and me. Not only visiting the Temple, but also we had a wonderful stroll around its historical area. Nevertheless, perhaps, it would be good to have our family grave somewhere near my house.
Here are some of the snapshots taken at the occasion.
The 5th International Conference on Population Geographies was held at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH from the 5th to the 9th of August 2009. New Hampshire being the state where I spent my final years of student days it was nice to revisit the region for this occasion. Thus, RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal and I had a brief post-conference visit in the New England area. We visited Quechee Gorge and Simon Pearce Glass in Vermont, stayed overnight in the White Mountain scenic area, visited with Professor Murray Straus at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire, and had a warm hospitality of Romana and Tito Autrey in Boston.
Below are some of the snapshots of the post-conference tour.
For the Conference related photos, please look at the following websites:
●Fumie Kumagai’s HP: Professional & Academic Meetings:
Congratulations Mr. Morio Iino! (He is one of my classmates from Hibiya High School.) Mr. Iino has recently won the Kamakura Mayoral Award for his oil painting entitled on “Taking a Rest.” It is a vivid painting with full of strength and energy. His painting is at the 45th Exhibit of the Kamakura Arts at the Gallery of the Kamakura Art Theater. (July 3-9, 2009.) After visiting the Gallery Mr. Iino and I enjoyed talking to compare our notes. Please look at a couple of photos of his award wining painting.
Fumie Kumagai plays on the flute, Franz Doppler: "La Sonnambula, paraphrase en souvenir de Adelina Patti, op 42 pour deux flutes et piano" with flutist Ms. Mayumi Shibano and pianist Ms. Ako Arimori at Fujisawa City Hall on Saturday, the 4th of April in 2009. Flowers are those from colleagues, seminar graduates, and friends who kindly came to hear my flute performance. They are Mr. And Mrs. Kyokuta, Ms. Nishio, and Ms. Tsuneyasu. Later in the afternoon, we enjoyed good conversations over the dinner at the Kumagai.
It was good to have a moment of relaxation at home with colleagues from work, Masako Takagi, Yasuyuki Furumoto, and Terry Yagihashi. We enjoyed a lengthy conversation comparing our notes each other. At the same time, I sincerely hope that these able young faculty members will take the initiative to make Kyorin Gaigo a better program.
Flowers are those from colleagues, seminar graduates, and friends who kindly come to hear my flute performance. They are Mr. And Mrs. Kyokuta, Mrs. Hashimoto, Mr. Iwabuchi, Mr. Ueno, Ms. Nishio, and Ms. Tsuneyasu.
It was good to have a moment of relaxation at home with a colleague at work, Ms. Masako Takagi. We enjoyed a lengthy conversation comparing our notes each other.
A peaceful and a pleasant memorial service for the late Professor Ito, who served as the first Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Studies, Kyorin University was held on Wednesday, July 24, 2007. The ceremony was held under the direction of Professor & the Priest Nakamura, at the Conference Room of the Faculty, where it would, perhaps, be most appropriate to remember Professor Ito. Many people from various sectors of Kyorin University gathered together, and spoke to the late Professor Ito to his portrait, and to Mrs. & Dr. Ito as well. Fumie Kumagai felt herself that it is not possible to express her appreciation for all what the late Professor Ito done to her. Therefore, she played on the flute, a piece seemed to be quite appropriate for the occasion (the first movement of "Fantaisie Pastrale Hongroise, Op. 26 of A. F. Doppler.)
Below are some of the photos taken on the occasion.
The 4th International Conference on Population Geographies was held at the Chinese University of Hong Kong from the 10th to the 13th of July in 2007. The conference was most stimulating and informative. It is good to have acquainted with scholars from various countries, and with Japanese academics who specialize in the field as well.
The 4th International Conference on Population Geographies was held at the Chinese University of Hong Kong from the 10th to the 13th of July in 2007. The conference was most stimulating and informative. It is good to have acquainted with scholars from various countries, and with Japanese academics who specialize in the field as well.
Both Professor Joyce MA Lai-chong and CM-Chi Man Lai were so kind that they extended hospitalities that no one could ever expect. Without their kindness, it was not possible for me to enjoy the visit to Hong Kong this time, especially because of the ill health that I have been coping with since the spring.
They live in a beautiful condominium in the gated conclave on the hill of the New Territory in Hong Kong. They took me to the Peak, Stanley, and invited me for the homemade dinner in the evening. I enjoyed talking with their intelligent son who has just graduated from Harrow School in London, and will advance to St. Catholic College of Cambridge University to major in mathematics in September. Their daughter too is a bright person who majored in statistics, and had internship in Singapore, and has just started her career. I am truly thankful for their kindness, and for all the hospitalities that they extended to me. I will certainly remember our friendship for long.
Now let me show some of my memories from Hong Kong. Hope you enjoy them.
Fumie Kumagai plays on the flute, Franz et Karl Doppler: "Souvenir de Prague, Op 24, duo concertant" with flutist Ms. Aiko Suzuki and pianist Ms. Jyunko Urui at Fujisawa City Hall on Sunday, the 1st of April in 2007.
Flowers are those from colleagues and friends who kindly come to hear my flute performance. They are Professors Takagi and Kizaki, and Mr. and Mrs. Kyokuta.
Some moment of relaxation after my flute performance.
It is delightful to foster friendship and relax to feel at home with colleagues at Kyorin University outside of the work place.
It is truly wonderful to have good friends. Thanks to the hard work of Yasuo Kato and all the supporting crewmembers, the 10th Hibiya Class Reunion of Showa-37 graduates were real success. We compared our notes of past events, refreshed our memories, and hoped to repeat the same happy occasion in two years. Until then, wishing all of you a happy holiday season.
Below are some of the snapshots taken at the Class Reunion.
It was a total surprise to have been invited for a mini-version of the Hibiya High School reunion after my presentation on "Socio-Cultural Characteristics of Japanese Society" at Inter-American Development Bank. Not only have I enjoyed delicious Chinese cuisine, but also we exchanged opinions and carried on livery conversation on various current issues. We certainly are still very young and energetic indeed!
After my presentation on "Violence and Abuse in the American Family" we had a surprise class reunion of Den-enchofu Elementary School after as long as a half century interval!
On the day of the "Respect for the Aged" national holiday, such a nice bunch of people visited me to pay a respect to the aged person such as myself! My America Sister RuthAnn and her daughter have been visiting Japan for two weeks. They had planned to stay over here during the weekend of the 17th to the 19th. Unfortunately, however, I had suffered from pyelonephritis (Jin-U-Jin-En) with a fever as high as 103F degree. With the antibiotics and medication the worst is over now, and I must take it easy for a while.
Under these circumstances, therefore, it was not possible for me to have RuthAnn and Lila stay over here. Instead, junior faculty members like Professor Takagi and Professor Kurabayashi, along with a couple of my seminar students, Mr. Kageyama and Mr. Matsumoto had helped me tremendously.
We had a good time here at home, and they took RuthAnn and Lila to Kamakura to visit Hase-Kannnon-Daibutsu. We had almost burned the midnight oil discussing various topics such as American society and culture, foods, slangs, politics, and many other current issues. We really had developed a good US-Japan friendship.
Please join us to remember some of the memories at that time in the below.
During the New Year's Holidays in 2005 some of ex-grad students visited me home. And we had wonderful time in renewing our friendship. We hope to see each other again in a year if not any sooner.
Participating in the 36th World Congress of the Institute of International Sociology (IIS) held in Beijing in July 2004 was extremely successful indeed, not only academically but also enhancing friendship. Thus, let me show memories of my experiences on that occasions.
It was very fruitful in various ways. One of my high school classmates is the Vice President and the Chief Representative for China of Mitsubishi Shoji. He took me out for Peking Duck dinner along with the Deputy Director of the Institute of Sociology, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. We really had an exciting conversation in English! Although he (VP of Mitsubishi) speaks perfect Chinese, I have no knowledge of the Chinese language whatsoever. Hence, ourconversation was conducted in English.
A couple of Chinese graduate students at Kyorin under my direction kindly introduced me their friend working for the Ministry of Finance in Beijing. He took me to the Great Wall and Ming Tombs located north of Beijing city. Although amazingly rapid development has been progressing in the central part of Beijing city, just outskirts of it displays a wide areas of rural poor China. The fact that of the total 1.3 billion Chinese population today two-thirds reside in such rural areas indicates that the diffusion of China's modernization will take years to come. It would be similar to the Japanese situation which took 100 years after the Meiji Restoration, followed by the high economic growth period.
One of the most serious problems in urban China today, as I perceive it, is the cultural lag phenomenon. That is, despite the economic and materialistic aspect of development on the surface the moral and human side of advancement underneath lags behind significantly. It will take for many years to alleviate these problems, as Japan underwent and still is struggling with.
For this reason, I feel, that in analyzing socio-cultural aspects and social issues in contemporary China, the dual structural perspective originally proposed by Boeke in the 1950's would be quite suitable over the theory of globalization mostly developed by Western scholars. The dual structural theoretical framework is exactly the one that I have been trying to apply for the analysis of Japanese society for some while. Therefore, I am very much interested in pursuing a research project on "Japan's Direct Investment in China focusing on automotive industries" in the near future. I researched on the issue in the United States quite extensively for over ten years from mid-1980's, and published a book in Japanese entitled "Japanese Style of Production System in the U.S.A.: From Friction to Friendship" in 1996 through JETRO. (Fumie Kumagai's home page-Profile in English and Fumie Kumagai's home page-Profile in Japanese)
Now let me show some of my memories from Beijing, China. Hope you enjoy them.
Apart from my academic activities, I have an entirely different circle of friendship. That is, I like to play flute in my pastime. Whether I play it well or not is not so important to me. What's matter to me is that I do enjoy it very much. Below are some snapshots with relation to my flute performance.
The below are some photographs taken during my visit to the United States in August 2002. Apart from academic activities, I had momorable moments in refreshing frieendship. In both Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin I visited with the Schallerts after as long as a quarter century interval. Then, in Blacksburg, Virginia I had most relaxing home hospitalities of Marylou, and had good conversation with Andrew Cohill which hopefully develop into academic collaboration in the near future.
