＜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
<Added February 27, 2023> Report: U.S. Department of Energy Determines COVID-19 Origin “May Have Leaked from Chinese Laboratory”
The following report was published by Asahi Shimbun Digital.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 26th that the U.S. Department of Energy has determined that the origin of the novel coronavirus likely was a Chinese laboratory leak. Based on newly classified information, the report was reported to the White House and U.S. Congressional leaders. However, opinions are divided within the U.S. government, with some agencies favoring the animal-transmitted-to-human theory.
According to the WSJ, the Department of Energy has determined that the virus spread through an accident at a Chinese laboratory, although with “low confidence.” The Department of Energy oversees the U.S. National Laboratory, which also conducts cutting-edge biological research, and claims to have “considerable scientific expertise.”
Among other government agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also supports the laboratory leak theory. The National Intelligence Council and four other agencies support the animal-mediated theory, while two other agencies, including the CIA, have not yet decided which theory to support.
The novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak that broke out in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 has rapidly spread worldwide and is now shaping up to be a pandemic.
While China’s initial response is problematic, the WHO’s delay in declaring a state of emergency is also problematic.
1. China’s Delayed Initial Response
Wuhan City Secretary Ma Guoqiang acknowledged the city’s delayed initial response, saying, “If we had implemented strict control measures earlier, the outcome would have been better,” and apologized, saying, “I now feel guilty.”
He further stated, “If we had acted earlier, we would not have had to worry the Party Central Committee and the State Council,” describing the city’s response to the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak as “a war with an invisible enemy.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with China’s state-run television, Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang acknowledged the delay in disclosing information and said, “Even if the local government obtains information, it cannot be made public without authorization,” suggesting that the city did not receive permission from the central government.
The truth is still unclear, but there is no doubt that China’s delayed initial response contributed to the spread of infection.
2. WHO’s delay in declaring a state of emergency
WHO Director-General Tedros is the former Minister of Health and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, a country that has received huge investments from China, so it is possible that he wanted to avoid declaring a state of emergency, and there are criticisms that he may have been “courting China.”
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tedros visited Beijing, not Wuhan, on January 28 and met with President Xi Jinping. While President Xi urged China to “carefully consider whether to declare a state of emergency,” Tedros praised China’s response, saying, “China is taking timely and effective measures.”
3. Ethiopian Director-General Tedros’s Deference to China
WHO Director-General Tedros had been holding daily Emergency Committee meetings since January 22, but had refrained from declaring a state of emergency.
However, with the rapid increase in the number of infections and deaths in China and other countries, the WHO was ultimately forced to declare a state of emergency after the Emergency Committee meeting on January 30.
At a press conference following the Emergency Committee meeting on the 30th, Director-General Tedros stated, “WHO is confident in China’s ability to control the novel pneumonia outbreak.” He also stated, “I see no reason to restrict travel or trade with China” despite the declaration of a state of emergency. This can also be interpreted as a consideration to avoid damaging the Chinese economy by restricting the movement of people and goods.
4. Concerns about the “Unfairness” of UN Reports and Judgments by Other International Organizations
In Japan, during the House of Representatives Budget Committee, Constitutional Democratic Party leader Yukio Edano addressed Chairman Yasufumi Tanahashi, a former LDP member, saying, “You are not shying away from running the affairs of the House of Representatives in a way that is completely in favor of the ruling party. Are you a pooch wagging your tail at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, hoping to join the cabinet again? I would like to tell you to be ashamed of yourself.”
While WHO Director-General Tedros’s response was clearly in favor of China, I also believe that UN reports and the judgments of other international organizations also have issues of “unfairness.”
I have doubts that the following UN reports and the judgments of other international organizations may be unfair.
(1) “Report Raising Concerns about the Independence of the Japanese Media”
This is a “New Report Raising Concerns about the Independence of the Japanese Media” issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Speech and Expression, David Kaye, and it is completely at odds with the actual situation in Japan.
(2) The Coomaraswamy Report and the McDougall Report
These are UN reports on the so-called “comfort women.” Despite the fact that the 1996 Coomaraswamy Report and the 1998 McDougall Report were erroneous reports based on the Asahi Shimbun’s fabricated article on the comfort women issue, they have remained unretracted and have harmed Japan’s national interests for many years. The Asahi Shimbun only published an article acknowledging the fabrication on August 5, 2014, and has since made no effort to request the UN to retract these reports.
(3) The WTO’s Reversal of the Ruling in Victory over South Korea’s Embargo on Seafood from Eight Eastern Japanese Prefectures
This issue has been discussed in detail in my previous article, “The WTO’s Reversal of the Ruling in Victory over South Korea is Questionable.”
(4) The International Hydrographic Organization’s Response to the Sea of Japan Naming Issue
This issue concerns the International Hydrographic Organization’s refusal to firmly reject South Korea’s claims regarding the naming of the Sea of Japan. I previously wrote about this in detail in my article, “The IH Organization and the Unreasonableness of the Sea of Japan Naming Issue.”
(5) The IWC’s Rejection of Japan’s Scientific Whaling
In 2018, the Japanese government decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which manages whale resources. I previously wrote about this in detail in my article, “Japan’s Decision to Withdraw from the IWC.”
Until now, Japan has persistently advocated for the need for scientific whaling, but it has become clear that the IWC is completely unwilling to listen and has no intention of changing its mind. Therefore, Japan has decided to withdraw, realizing that there is no point in remaining in the IWC any longer and that the negative effects would outweigh its support.