＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
In early summer, camphor trees are conspicuously defoliated. Camphor trees are “evergreen,” but their old leaves fall and dance in the wind from early April to early May.
Fallen leaves of evergreen trees are called “Tokiwa-gi ochiba (evergreen fallen leaves)” or “Natsu-ochiba (fallen leaves in summer),” which is a seasonal term for early summer. They are also called kusu-ochiba (fallen camphor leaves).
People who have little interest in trees, flowers, and other plants may not be aware of the defoliation of “evergreen trees. Deciduous trees” are ‘woody plants that regularly lose their leaves during certain seasons (mainly fall and winter),’ while ‘evergreen trees’ are ”woody plants with green leaves on their trunks and branches throughout the year.
In the past, when warfare was constant, “evergreen trees” that always showed stable greenery were preferred because of their “sense of impermanence” and created peace of mind, but today, “deciduous trees” full of seasonal beauty are preferred.
I also like “deciduous trees” and planted mostly deciduous trees in my new house. Some are tall trees, such as dogwood and magnolia, while others are shrubs, such as hydrangea and forsythia.
１．Learning from Evergreens
（１）To promote a discreet but steady generational change
The phrase “don’t stand out, don’t be flashy” is from a song by Eigo Kawashima called “Jidai Oukere” (“Outdated”).
This way of thinking is like a company or organization that looks to the future and ensures that the baton is passed on to the next generation without leaving any blanks.
（２）Always showing greenery that is easy on the eyes.
Deciduous tree seems to be an ideal leader who is strict with self and kind to others. He has a personality that could be described as “genial and balmy. In reality, however, there are many bosses who are lenient on themselves and harsh on their subordinates.
（３）Always show the same green as they have steadfast belief in self.
The reality is that many supervisors do not have their own firm views or change their opinions from time to time depending on the opinions of their superiors.
２．Learning from Deciduous Trees
（１）All leaves must be removed gracefully in winter.
Deciduous trees seem to be people who know when to resign.
Many people will cover up, make excuses or avoid responsibility for scandals for which they are responsible, or cling to their positions and say unfulfilled things.
Deciduous trees also seem to be people who are willing to be positive and start over from scratch, even when they encounter unfortunate events or fall into unfavorable circumstances.
A typical example of the opposite is Carlos Ghosn, former chairman of Nissan Motor Co. For a time, he was hailed by the media as a “charismatic and charismatic manager who has brought about a V-shaped recovery in Nissan’s business performance. However, if we reveal the truth, he was merely a “ruthless cost cutter without blood or tears” who “Japanese people would hesitate to accept.
In addition, he was a “criminal who preyed on the company” and caused tremendous damage to Nissan and its affiliated companies by privatizing them and confusing public and private matters for his own personal gain.
The worst of what he did not only as a manager but also as a human being is now being exposed in the light of day one after another. I hope that the court will judge them fairly and strictly with the honor of the Japanese judiciary.
（2）That it is steadily building up strength for spring inside while enduring the wind and snow during the winter.
The deciduous tree seems to be a person who, while superficially appearing dead (withered) because it does not fit the current trends, is internally a person who is vigorously studying for the coming spring.
（3）Gentleness that makes leaves grow thick in summer to create green shade and drops its leaves in winter to give people full sunlight.
Deciduous trees remind us of a personable person with “compassion” and “kindness”. In the world, there are bosses who mistakenly believe that their subordinates are “bowing to their position” and that they are well-liked.