Dear friends,     How are you getting along?     I'm fine.     Christmas is drawing near so I read the Bible today.     "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.     And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good things of great joy, which shall be to all poeple. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.     And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethelehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." (the Gospel according to St.Luke)     Everyone knows this story but reading it at this time of the year, I am always moved freshly.     How about you? Well, I wish you all A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!!

Dear friends,     I hope you are getting along quite well.     I'm fine.     This month I'll give you a question in math.This question, which I found in the Readers' Digest, is very interesting to me. Please solve it.     "A woman drives to work at an average speed of 60 miles per hour. She returns home over the same route at an average speed of 45 m.p.h. What is her average speed for the round trip?    a)45 m.p.h.  b)48 m.p.h.  c)51 m.p.h.  d)53 m.p.h.  e)56 m.p.h."     Did you solve it? Here's the answer.     Let it be supposed that the distance between home and work is x miles. Then the time required from home to work is x/60 and the time from work to home is x/45. So the turnaround time is x/60+x/45=7x/180.     What is the average speed for the round trip? 2x*180/7x=360/7=51.428, that is, c) is a right answer. Do you understand?     By the way, on Jan.2, I went to Mt. Kootsu in Tokushima, which is about 1,100 meters high and on its top there is a Buddhist mountaineering asceticism's temple called Kootsuji-temple. Powdery snow was falling and both the mountain and the temple were clothed in their coat of snow.     See you next time in February!

Dear friends,     How are you?     I'm fine.     If I ask you what day Feb.12 is, most of you would answer it is Lincoln's Birthday. But it is also the day when I was born!! Please remember it.     Joking aside, Feb.12 is Lincoln's Birthday, so let's read his famous speech "Gettysburg Address" today.     "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.     Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.     But, in larger sense, we can not dedicate--we can not consecrate--we can not hallow--this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."     This is a very moving speech, isn't it? I'm proud that I was born on the same day when Abraham Lincoln was born.     In Japan today (Feb.11) is the Foundation Day. Though February is the coldest month in the year, it is spring according to the calendar. You might think it is curious but Japanese have felt a breath of spring in the coldest days since early times.     See you again in March!

Dear friends,     I hope you are getting very well.     In Japan most of the examinations for admission to national universities take place in March. So I was a little busier than usual, but it is drawing to an end. I feel relieved.     Not knowing what to write this month, I looked up March in Encyclopedea Americana. Let's read this today.     "MARCH, the third month of the year, consisting of 31 days. It is named for Mars, the Roman god of war and, originally, of vegetation. In ancient Rome, March was the first month, marking the renewal of agriculture and of military campaigning. With the Gregorian calendar, adopted in 1582, January was made the first month. March's birthstone are aquamarine and bloodstone, and its zodiac signs are Pisces and Aries. The vernal equinox, heralding the start of spring, comes on March 21. Holidays around the world include:     March 1: St.David's Day, honoring the patron saint of Wales, who founded many churches.     March 17: St.Patrick's Day, honoring the patron saint of Ireland, with displays of the shamrock and "wearing the green."     March 19: St.Joseph's Day in Italy, celebrated with bonfires on the eve before and acts of generosity during te day.     March 25: Annunciation, or Lady Day, commemorating the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother of Jesus.     In north India at the full moon in March, bonfires inaugurate the festival of Holi, celebrating the wheat harvest. In late March, the Chinese observe Ching-Ming ("clear brightness") with rituals symbolizing fertility and honoring the dead with offerings of food and willow branches. On the last Sunday before Lent, rural Poles observe Marzanna Day, on which straw dolls representing the goddess of death are carried on sticks and drowned in streams. Similar customs of "killing" winter are observed in other northern countries."     This is very interesting. But to my regret, Japanese Higan which means Buddhist services performed during the equinoctial week, is not mentioned though Chinese Ching-Ming is mentioned.     We pay a visit to our grave and performed a memorial services for the departed souls of our ancestors that day.     Then see you next month!