2016-12-20

Japanese Court

Back in July of this year, two tenants in my building got into a fight over some issue. The fight escalated to the point where one guy attacked the other guy with an aluminum baseball bat.

I was witness to the initial confrontation and witness to the act of violence where the victim was actually struck with the baseball bat.

I was the one who called the police and assisted with identifying the two parties involved. I spent hours and hours at the police station going over my statement time after time after time.

Then, when it came to preparing for the trial, I spent hours again going over the details with the prosecutor. The court finally held the trial today. I answered all the questions the prosecutor had repeatedly asked me before. Then, under cross-examination by the defendant's lawyer, I realized that he was trying to discredit my statements. The wonderful thing about the truth is that you only have to tell the truth and not worry about covering your tracks.

The trial finished just minutes ago and I feel exhausted. The defendant looked totally different -- he was clean, well groomed, dressed in clean clothes, and seemed despondent or repentant. Before the trial, I was afraid that he might actually try to attack me in court out of spite or anger. He was a short-tempered, volatile person when he lived in my building.

Today, I actually felt kind of sorry for him. My company got him evicted from our building; he seems to have no family whatsoever; has been living off of welfare (which is barely enough to survive); and will most likely be jailed for the next couple of years. When he gets out of jail, I wonder if he will try to start a new life, become homeless, or seek me out for revenge.

I am sure there are many cases where foreigners find themselves in court. I could barely follow along with all of the questions from the judge and the defendant's lawyer since I am unfamiliar with courtroom terminology. Such a situation must be extremely stressful for foreigners who cannot speak or understand any Japanese to begin with.

I had an interpreter, but I could see a couple of cases where her translation lost the nuance of what I was trying to say. So, for the rest of the trial, I just tried to get by with my own Japanese and used the interpreter only occasionally for clarification, especially for questions from the defendant's lawyer.

The defendent's lawyer gave me the impression of a cunning rat! He seemed to be trying to make me commit an act of purjury. He kind of pissed me off! I know he was just doing his job, but I could see where someone could get tripped up by the way he asked questions using double negatives, and such.

I now realize why so many people would rather not involve the police in a civil issue that might go to trial. It would be much easier to ignore the situation and move to another apartment where you hope your fellow tenants are more respectful of fellow tenants and take an investment in maintaining harmony in the building and neighborhood.

If anything, I wish I could send the defendant a bill for the hardship he caused me and get reimbursed for my moving expenses, lost time at work, and expense of going to the station, prosecutor's office, and the trial.

Funny how life is so unpredictable. Who would have guessed a skinny little farmboy from "Smalltown" U.S.A. would have a year where he buries his wife of 20 years, lives alone with a border collie, and goes to a Japanese courtroom to help convict a violent neighbor.

I hope and pray 2017 will be a better year. What else could possibly go wrong?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

2016-11-14

Cloudy Flora


田んぼから歩いて行ける。

Walking away from rice paddies.
(Odawara, Japan. Sept. 11, 2014)

[f/5.6 at ISO 3200 for 1/500 sec.]

#Pentax #K50 #小田原 #田んぼ




赤いベールに包まれた。Wrapped in a red veil.
(Odawara, Japan. Sept. 11, 2014)

[f/7.1 at ISO 3200 for 1/50 sec.]

#Pentax #K50 #小田原 #ネット






2016-10-28

Evening Stroll Early Autumn

Canal among the rice paddies. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014
スムーズに流れる.
Flowing freely.
[f/6.3 at 400 ISO for 1/100 sec.]

Power lines after sunset. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014
過去〜現在という長いスパン.
The long span from past to present.
[f/7.1 at ISO 400 for 1/200 sec.]

Power lines after sunset. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Riverside blossoms. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014
日光の届くところに。
Within reach of the sunlight
[f/7.1 at 400 ISO for 1/320 sec.]

Riverside blossoms. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014
花の色は鉄鉄の色とそぐわない。
A clash of petals and iron
[f/7.1 at 800 ISO for 1/320 sec.]

Riverside blossoms. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Odakyu Line running through rice paddies. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Riverside blossoms. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Riverside blossoms. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Odakyu Line running through rice paddies. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Odakyu Line running through rice paddies. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Riverside blossoms. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Rural neighborhood, Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Sakagawa River. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Sakagawa River. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Sakagawa River. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Sakagawa River. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Sakagawa River. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Sakagawa River. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Sakagawa River bank. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Evergreen tree on bank of Sakagawa River. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Riverside blossoms. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Riverside blossoms. Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

Rural neighborhood, Odawara, Japan. Sept. 10, 2014

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2016-10-27

Yellow and Red

Sunflower growing along the edge of a rice paddy.

Bright invitation to the many pollinators of the Japanese countryside.

Faint drops of dew resting on crimson petals.

Full bloom and budding sibling.

Red curvatures to catch the slightest amount of moisture.

Delicate petals reaching out, calling out. 
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2016-10-19

Negishi Shinrin Park


Children playing at Negishi Shinrin Park.
ISO 200 for 200 sec. @ f/13.00
#NegishiPark #Yokohama #Park #根岸森林公園 #横浜 #公園

Taking a break from catching her Frisbee at a park. 
ISO 200 for 200 sec. @ f/7.1
#NegishiPark #Yokohama #Park #bordercollie #ボーダーコリー #愛犬 #犬 #根岸森林公園 #横浜 #公園

Elderly couple walking in the park; she with her parasol and he with his Ray-Bans.
ISO 200 for 1/250 sec. @ f/9
#NegishiPark #Yokohama #Park #elderlycouple #散歩 #夫婦 #根岸森林公園 #横浜 #公園

Children blowing bubbles in the park.
ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. @ f/5.6
#bubbles #park #NegishiPark #シャボン玉 #公園 #根岸森林公園 #横浜

Blowing soap bubbles in the park.
ISO 200 for 1/250 sec. @ f/5 
#bubbles #park #NegishiPark #シャボン玉 #公園 #根岸森林公園 #横浜

1866: grandstands for Japan’s first horse race track. 1923: Rebuilt after Great Kanto Earthquake. 1942: Converted to printing press and POW site by Imperial Navy. 1945: General MacArthur took control of printing presses. 1977: Ruins returned to Yokohama and reopened as a park. 
ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. @ f/13
#NegishiPark #ruins #grandstands #根岸森林公園 #旧一等馬見所 #横浜

Grandstand ruins. Classical window trim and ornate bars overrun by ivy vines in autumn. Designed by American architect JH Morgan in 1929.
ISO 800 for 1/250 sec. @ f/7.1
#NegishiShinrinPark #ruins #grandstands #window #根岸森林公園 #旧一等馬見所 #窓 #ツル植物 #横浜

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2016-10-18

Grand Mall Park


 Took dog on walk in the Grand Mall Park. Came across a piece of urban sculpture in front of MM Grand Central Tower office building.
ISO 2500 for 1/4 sec. @ f/4.50
#PierSquare #GrandMallPark #MinatoMirai #urban #sculpture #横浜 #みなとみらい #グランモール公園 #桟橋の広場

 Dale-chan the border collie taking a break during her long, late-night walk.
ISO 800 for 1/100 sec. @ f/5.60
#dog #bordercollie #犬 #愛犬 #ボーダーコリー

 LEDs in the pavement light up the grounds of the Art Square next to the Yokohama Museum of Art (right) with  Landmark Tower soaring high above the Grand Mall Park.
ISO 800 for 13 sec. @ f/11.00
#ArtSquare #GrandMallPark #MinatoMirai #LandmarkTower #横浜 #みなとみらい #グランモール公園

 Lights reflecting off of a decorative window featuring symmetrical stonework above entrance to Yokohama Museum of Art.
ISO 800 for 6 sec. @ f/16.00
#GrandMallPark #MinatoMirai #YokohamaMuseumofArt #横浜 #みなとみらい #グランモール公園 #横浜美術館

 Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel gracing the Yokohama skyline
ISO 800 for 2 sec. @ f/4.00
#CosmoClock21 #MinatoMirai #Yokohama #横浜 #みなとみらい #コスモクロック21 #観覧車

 Lights of the Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel bouncing off the waters in Yokohama Bay
ISO 800 for 1 sec. @ f/4.00
#CosmoClock21 #reflections #MinatoMirai #みなとみらい #コスモクロック21 #光の反射

Rainbow of lights during late-night dog walk near the Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel in Minato Mirai, Yokohama.
ISO 800 for 1/3 sec. @ f/4.50
#CosmoClock21 #rainbowcolors #MinatoMirai #みなとみらい #コスモクロック21 #観覧車 #虹の七色

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