Kurashi - News From Japan

Second Edition of My 1937 Aviation Novel Published

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 10:53:00 +0000

In April 2023 I held a lecture about the 1937 flight from Tokyo to London, and to my great surprise, the grandson of Tsukagoshi Kenji (the navigator) was there. Turns out he has a connection to Ito City, Shizuoka, and noticed the poster about my lecture.

His name is Tsukagoshi Yuji, and he was kind enough to agree to write a foreword to the Second Edition of my book. Many thanks also to Alan Graham who helped with the edit, and Patrick Sherriff who published it on Tower English. The Second Edition is now available on Amazon, both as a Paperback and as a eBook. Please order, rate and comment!

鵜の目鷹の目 Essays from Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 18:15:00 +0000

My 2021 essay book U No Me Taka No Me is now available on Amazon -

Click on Read More - How to order -

Thanks everyone, please share and comment. Tell all your Japanese friends. Much appreciated.

マーティンの鵜の目鷹の目 -世界の消費者運動の旅から(発行:日本消費者連盟)

by マーティン・フリッド, 日本消費者連盟

著者のマーティン・フリッドさんはスウェーデン生まれ。ヨーロッパの消費者運動に関わった後、約20年前に来日し、現在は日消連の運営委員として、海外向けニュースレター「Japan Resources」の発行などに携わっています。プライベートでは野菜作りや陶芸を楽しみ、埼玉県飯能市での田舎暮らしを満喫しています。

そんなマーティンさんの魅力が目一杯詰まったのが本書「マーティンの鵜の目鷹の目」。人びとの日常によりそいながら軽妙なユーモアを交えて食、環境、エネルギー、社会のあり方、政治、経済を考えます。

＜もくじ＞
第 1 章ラムサール条約から TPP へ 2012 年～ 2014 年
第 2 章アメリカの食を変えたブロガー 2015 年
第 3 章野菜を育てる 2016 年
第 4 章きれいな空気は人権 2017 年
第 5 章英語で発信する効用 2018 年
第 6 章悪魔と食事をする時は… 2019 年
第 7 章アーモンドとミツバチ 2020 年
【解説】世界の消費者運動の今
世界の消費者運動の歴史と課題　天笠啓祐
アジアの消費者運動と連帯する　纐纈美千世

「はじめに」から
1988年8月に、わたしは日本へやって来ました。はじめて口にしたお寿司やお刺身のおいしさは忘れられません。ご飯、味噌汁。日本の食べ物は世界一おいしいと感動しました。煮物やおひたし、漬け物など、日本にはすばらしい伝統食がたくさんあります。しかし、日本は食料自給率がことのほか低く、「地産地消」が崩れてしまっています。食への不安、環境問題やエネルギー問題や貿易問題など、消費者の側からのエッセーが必要です。なによりも私自身が、そんな本が欲しくて『マーティンの鵜の目鷹の目』を書きました。

■著者プロフィール
1966年、スウェーデンの南部の都市マルメで生まれる。ヨーロッパの消費者運動に関わったあと、15年前から日本に定住。現在、日本消費者連盟運営委員。海外向けニュースレター「Japan Resources」発行を担当すると同時に、WEBや映像の発信にも尽力する。野菜作りや陶芸が趣味。埼玉県飯能市に山の中に住む。日本語の著書に『ニッポン食の安全ランキング５５５』（2009年、講談社）。

マーティン・J・フリッド／著
清水洋子／訳
日本消費者連盟／発行
社会評論社／発売
2021年3月発行／A5 判／154 ページ
1,430円（税込）のところ、日消連にご注文いただければ、1,170円＋送料167円です（振込手数料が別途かかります）。

＜ご注文は下記まで＞
日本消費者連盟
FAX：03（5155）4767
eメール：office.j@nishoren.org

■「マーティンの鵜の目鷹の目」注文書

Essay December 2018

Little things can make a big difference

It’s been another strange year, with strange weather and strange politics. The news is mostly strange too, and my vegetable harvest was strange due to the strange weather. But at the same time, I feel I have so much to be grateful for. The question is, how can we hold our heads high and ignore the idiots and forget about the bastards. If I can make a wish for the New Year, it is to stay strong and positive, and try to continue to try to inspire others.

In his book “The Tipping Point” Canadian writer Malcolm Gladwell discusses how little things can make a big difference. He tells story after story of how terrible things changed for the better, often due to a small but consciously targeted effort. Crime rates went down in New York after a policy was implemented, based on the “broken window” theory. If a window is broken and left un-repaired, people concluded that the street was unsafe and that nobody cared. Soon, criminals will take over and make the street unsafe. So, fix the broken window right away, and avoid worries about crime.

In our work as a consumer organization, we do something similar. We expose the “broken window” such as a food safety law that is ineffectual, or a problem with confusing or incorrect labelling rules, or a new product that is placed on the market with insufficient testing. Japan’s GMO labelling law is an excellent example. It has not stopped the import of GMOs and consumers cannot be sure if foods include GMOs or not. Fix the broken window, and consumers can once again feel confident about what we eat. I hope we can fix this broken law in 2019, because it would make a really big difference...

マーティンの鵜の目鷹の目 -世界の消費者運動の旅から

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 12:06:00 +0000

My new book has been published!

マーティン・フリッド (著)

世界中の消費者が同じ課題を抱え、悩み、たたかっている。スウェーデンに生まれ、ヨーロッパ、そして日本の消費者運動の現場を歩いてきた著者が、人びとの日常によりそいながら軽妙なユーモアを交えて食、環境、エネルギー、社会のあり方、政治、経済を考えます。

https://nishoren.net/new-information/14177

Consumers all over the world are facing similar problems, worries, and struggles. In this book, the author, who was born in Sweden and has walked the frontlines of consumer movements in Europe and Japan, considers food, the environment, energy, the state of society, politics, and economics with a light touch of humor while staying close to people's daily lives.

登録情報

出版社 : 社会評論社 (2021/3/18)
発売日 : 2021/3/18
言語 : 日本語
ムック : 144ページ
ISBN-10 : 4784511059
ISBN-13 : 978-4784511051
１冊1,170円（１割引）＋送料180円とする、1,350円.
日本消費者連盟から注目してください。
振り込み用紙入れて送ります。
商店やAmazon.jpより一割引。 7

Book Event

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 15:17:00 +0000

新書「鵜の目鷹の目」

https://peatix.com/event/1804945/view

新書「鵜の目鷹の目」の著者、マーティン・フリッドさんと対談します！マーティンさんは日本在住のスウェーデン人でずっと前からの仕事仲間です。はじめてマーティンさんと知り合ったのは、日本で開かれた食品安全の国際会議の通訳をしていた時です。マーティンは、日本消費者連盟で仕事をすることになりました。そして今月、同連盟で毎月書いているエッセーを本にまとめて出版しました。

このイベントでは、スウェーデン人のレーナ・リンダル（ホスト）と日本にお住まいのスウェーデン人のマーティン・フリッドさん（ゲスト）が日本語で対談をします。

話題の中心は新書「鵜の目鷹の目」、そしてその内容に関係した消費者のこと、日本の生活のこと、スウェーデンの生活のこと、などなどです。

　マーティン・フリッド
　　（Martin Frid）

最後に質問をする機会もあります。

本の詳細、注文については出版社「社会評論社」のページへどうぞ。
https://www.shahyo.com/
(本の紹介ページはこれからです。）

マーティンさんが活動している団体、日本消費者連盟を紹介するページへどうぞ。

日本消費者連盟
日本消費者連盟フェイスブックページ
チャンネル日消連（YouTube）

マーティンさんの2009年の本も参考に：「ニッポン食安全ランキング５５５」

このイベントはオンラインで開催し、「ZOOM」を使います。

ご問い合わせ先：lena@linkandlearn.se

https://linkandlearn.se/home/japanese

BBC The Sky at Night 2018 Guides Galaxies

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 13:14:00 +0000

How we learnt about living in a galaxy, and finding out that there are many more out there.

Reading a Musical Score: Sibelius The Sky at Night

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 14:30:00 +0000

If you love music, do learn how to read a musical score.

My father spent a lot of time with me when I was a kid, working through the musical score. This is what a conductor has in front of him, be it a small chorus or a symphony orchestra. It all starts with the musical score. The director has to read it all, page after page. We just hear the magic.

Here is a track that you may know, by Jean Sibelius.

This music is familiar to British television viewers as the theme of the world's longest-running TV programme (1957-present), BBC and the The Sky at Night.

Kamikaze to Croydon at the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum in Saitama

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 14:25:00 +0000

Today, I went to the Aviation Museum in Tokorozawa, Saitama prefecture, to give them a copy of my novel, Kamikaze to Croydon. I bet they were a bit surprised. I had not called ahead, which I should have done, and I have no calling card (meishi) to explain the details of my endeavor.

所沢航空発祥記念館 Tokorozawa Aviation Museum

They kindly accepted my book for their library, and we had a lot of laughs. I suggested that they do a more thorough and large exhibition of the 1937 flight.

I also mentioned that at Croydon in London, they had a proper display of the arrival, with lots of photos and more, while here in Japan, there is no such thing.

Click here, and you can purchase my novel Kamikaze to Croydon on Amazon

Iinuma Masaaki is a promising young pilot from the mountains of Nagano, Japan, who only has thoughts of flying for the Morning Sun newspaper. When he learns of a prize for the first aviator to fly from Tokyo to London in under 100 hours, he knows he has the will to make it, just not the way. Suddenly his newspaper approves the purchase of a new aeroplane capable of going the distance. But can he overcome his fears, find a navigator and take the last great aviation prize even while the world marches ever closer to war? A novel based on the thrilling true story of two friends who try to break the last great aviation record before the world goes to war.

And while we are at it, I have to say, are we not so very lucky and fortunate to have survived the Heisei Period with peace here in Japan.

One Chance for Glory

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 17:43:00 +0000

1931: The first pilot to fly across the Pacific was Clyde Pangborn, and here is a great documentary on Youtube (only about 500 views, how about it).

Great film clips from back in the early 1930s.

He is remembered in Misawa, Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan, and in Washington State, U.S.

For their accomplishment, Pangborn and Herndon were awarded the the White Medal of Merit of the Imperial Aeronautical Society by Consul General Kensuke Horinouchi. The presentation took place at the Japanese consulate on 21 November 1931.

The United States National Aeronautic Association awarded the two men its 1931 National Harmony Trophy.

And here is a novel that tells the story.

One Chance for Glory by Edward (Ted) Heikell and Robert (Bob) Heikel, both from Washington State, U.S.

Synopsis

Pangborn flew 4500 miles over water in a Single Engine Land airplane, jettisoned his landing gear into the ocean to save drag, climbed outside at 17,000 feet in the frigid air at night to make repairs, put the airplane into a terrifying dive to 1400 feet to restart the engine, diverted the flight path to avoid collision with Mt Rainier and finally belly-landed (crash landed) on a dirt strip cut out of the sage-brush land above Wenatchee, Washington, to complete his trip over the Pacific Ocean in 1931. Charles Lindbergh became a household name four years earlier by flying the 3600 miles solo over the Atlantic.

His co-pilot was Hugh Herndon, Jr. who had marginal flying experience. He was taught to fly in a private school in France and had very little practical knowledge about aviation or navigational skills. What he did have that Clyde needed was the financial backing of his mother. If Hugh could be trained to be a worthy co-pilot, Clyde would have all of the ingredients he would need to continue his career as an aviator.

The custom airplane that they bought was a modified version of the Bellanca Sky Rocket. It was not a fast airplane, but was known to be very reliable, had long-range capability and a strong engine and big wing to get heavy fuel loads out of short unimproved fields. While its specified limits were well established, using it to cross the Pacific Ocean was not part of the design criteria. Whenever the specifications were violated, they would have to rely on Clyde Pangborn’s knowledge, which was referred to as the “Pangborn Factors”.

Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon took off from Sabishiro Beach, Misawa, Aomori, in Japan on October 4, 1931. From the moment they took off the flight was plagued by problems, but they managed to land safely at Fancher Field in Wenatchee, Washington, forty one hours and fifteen minutes after they took off.

Be that as it may, but why has the name of Pangborn been so well kept off the history books?

Edward T. Heikell and Robert L. Heikell mix history with some fiction to create a well-rounded view of lesser known pilot Clyde Pangborn in “One Chance for Glory: First nonstop flight across the Pacific” (ISBN 1468006088).
Pangborn was the first pilot to successfully cross the Pacific Ocean nonstop, but his accomplishment was lost in the shuttle of other pilots who accomplished great things and became household names. The Heikell brothers contacted sources who were associated with Pangborn during the time of his flight, and all questioned why Pangborn’s incredible feat was never advertised in history books.

During the era of pilots like Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh and Jimmy Doolittle, Pangborn was overlooked; however, some suspect it was a result of a gag order placed on him by the sponsors of his trip. The Heikells use emotions and fictitious conversations to piece together what sketchy historical information existed about the flight and link the emotional stresses that must have existed between Pangborn and his loved ones.

“The book is based on history, but some of it had to be fiction,” Edward Heikell says. “Actual pictures of the event have been included, but all of the conversations, emotions, some people and sub stories were made up to make a complete story out of the fragmented history trail.”

Pangborn and his co-pilot Hugh Herndon Jr. ventured on their trip to save the barnstorming business and make a name for themselves. A dangerous journey within itself, Pangborn was shocked when he discovered Herndon was not the flyer he appeared to be, thus nearly killing them on numerous occasions. The discovery of situations like this prompted the Heikells to add in made-up emotions that would present a complete story of Pangborn.

So, Who Was The First To Fly Across The Pacific Ocean?

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 16:35:00 +0000

Quiz time - we all know the name of Charles Lindbergh flying from the US to Europe in 1927. Many other flight records were as important, but who did the first flight across the Pacific Ocean?

What sets Lindbergh's record apart is that it was a solo flight. Not particularly useful, but in that day an age, it caught the attention of the general public and the media. More realistically, a pilot needed a navigator, as in my novel, Kamikaze to Croydon. Breaking the record and flying from Japan to Europe in just four days in 1937 could not be done solo.

American Wiley Post and Harold Gatty did the first round-the-world flight in 1930, after the German Graf Zeppelin, piloted by Hugo Eckener had pioneered that particular feat (including a landing in Japan).

Canadian pilot Harald Bromly was the first to make a serious attempt at the Pacific, but failed when starting from Tacoma, Washington State, U.S.

''I find it difficult to convince many persons that this proposed flight is not sheer suicide,'' Mr. Bromley said in July 1929 as he prepared to fly alone to Tokyo in a Lockheed Vega low-wing monoplane.

Source: The New York Times 1998 obituary

He failed again when trying to fly from Japan and eastwards, as his plane was too heavy. He had to dump fuel and then return. On September 15, 1930 Bromley again tried to make a trans-Pacific flight, this time in an Emsco monoplane, dubbed 'City of Tacoma', with Harold Gatty as his navigator. This time the flight was from Tokyo to Tacoma.

Engine trouble after about 1,250 miles forced them back to Japan, where they landed on a beach.

Harold Bromley became a test pilot for Lockheed and later opened a flying school in Tacoma. He died in 1999 at the age of 99 years.

With him was a fascinating character, his navigator Harold Gatty. Born in Australia, he had shown an interest in navigation that was to serve many other pioneering pilots of that era.

One of the first professional air navigators, Harold Gatty instructed such aeronautical elites as Anne Morrow Lindbergh in air navigation and invented new equipment. He developed the Gatty drift indicator for use in aircraft. Gatty served as Wiley Post's navigator on his record breaking around the world flight. He had been trained in air navigation by P. V. H. Weems and managed the Weems System of Navigation while Weems was on sea duty during the Depression. Gatty and Lindbergh convinced Pan American Airways to adopt the Weems System. Gatty became the Army Air Corps' chief navigation engineer—a remarkable position for a foreign (Tasmanian) national. There he tutored the cadre of officers who would be decisive in implementing the strategic bombing campaign during World War II, including Curtis LeMay.

Source: The Smithsonian

Oh, the irony. Anyway, we can safely say that the early pilots and daredevils quickly learnt that there had to be a science to the art of flying.

So, who was the first to fly across the Pacific?

After other aviators also failed to cross the Pacific, the feat was accomplished in October 1931 by Clyde Pangborn, a veteran barnstormer, and Hugh Herndon, a wealthy New Yorker who financed the flight, flying a Bellanca. Their flight, beginning at Sabishiro Beach and ending in Wenatchee, Wash., was part of their round-the-world trip in an unsuccessful effort to break the record time set in June 1931 by Wiley Post and Harold Gatty. Mr. Pangborn and Mr. Herndon received a $25,000 prize from the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.

Source: The New York Times

This is a fantastic trip back in time, a compilation of news reels with sound and interviews from 1931:

Sabishiro is in Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, and their plane was the Miss Veedol, a Bellanca (a US company founded by the Italian Giuseppe Mario Bellanca, who first cam to the US in 1911).

Clyde Pangborn was born in Washington State and ought to be as well known as the rest of them aviation pioneers.

Tokyo Yamanote Line Melodies

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 14:12:00 +0000

If you have ever been to Tokyo, you must have taken the Yamanote Line around town. Here are the melodies for the different stations. Sometimes, when I have an hour to spare, I take the Yamanote Line one way around, but I do hate the recent all-video trains. Let's keep the stress level down, shall we. Please, less ads, more train pleasure.

Still, the JR East Yamanote Line has to be the best service around.

Toru Takemitsu - L.A., New York, Paris, Rome, Helsinki (1991)

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Sat, 08 Dec 2018 16:19:00 +0000

The wonderful things that happen. Or not.

In 1991, Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu was invited by American director Jim Jarmusch to write the original music for his film "Night on Earth", but his finished work was subsequently rejected by the director. The supposedly lost music by Takemitsu was aptly titled “L.A., New York, Paris, Rome, Helsinki” - five cities featured in Jarmusch’s film.

New Photos From Croydon

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 16:51:00 +0000

Amazing images from April, 1937 as the Kamikaze-go landed at Croydon, London. From my new friends at the HCAT Archives, Peter Skinner and Ian Forsyth.

Record breaking flight from Tokyo. Can you spot Tsukagoshi climbing out of the airplane in the first picture? That's the easy one. Finding Iinuma in the last image may be more difficult, what with all the London policemen escorting him. He smiles a lot, holding on to a bunch of flowers, and is rather sun burnt from the long flight over the desert. Don't you think he was the happiest man on earth, that day. It inspired my wish to write about his long flight from Japan to Europe.

And you can order my novel about it here, Kamikaze to Croydon.

Bonus image: I took this photo of Iinuma Masaaki's pilot licence at his museum in Nagano:

WW1 Pilot Harry Ohara Remembered

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 12:59:00 +0000

First time I heard of this guy and his great story. Harry Ohara was born in Japan, studied at Waseda University in Tokyo, went to British India and worked for a newspaper. When war broke out, he joined the British Army. Later he flew after having started as a mechanic.

Kyodo notes that he is thought to be the Royal Air Force's first - and only - Japanese pilot:

O'Hara applied to become a pilot at exactly the right time, according to RAF Museum curator Peter Devitt. A portrait of an intense looking O'Hara stands out among the heroes -- the only Asian among the portraits -- that decorate the wall at the RAF Museum.

More details at the Great War London blog, that notes (correctly) that he must have been flying for the Royal Flight Corps, not the RAF (RAF was formed on 1 April 1918):

In March 1917, O’Hara transferred to the RFC as a 2nd-class air mechanic (the basic rank for RFC men – equivalent to his rank of private in the Middlesex Regiment). He was soon undergoing flying training, though, and living in London at 25 Fitzroy Square, a boarding-house run by Jukicki Ikuine, another Japanese man living in London. In 1911 Ikuine and his English wife had run a boarding-house entirely populated by Japanese men (servants, cooks and waiters), so perhaps his properties were a standard place for Japanese men to board.

O’Hara qualified as a pilot on 21 July 1917 at the London and Provincial flying school in Edgeware, and was immediately promoted to Sergeant by the RFC. It is not clear where he was stationed between then and March 1918, when he was posted from France to the No 1 School of Military Aeronautics (in Reading), but at some point he became engaged to Norfolk-born Muriel M McDonald. They married in Lewisham in September 1917.

No 1 Squadron with their SE5As and dog

Top photo showing the handsome young pilot, proudly posing in front of his SE5A, which has become known as "the Spitfire of Word War One."

Harry Fusao O’Hara died in Hampstead in 1951.

Thanks Our Man in Abiko, Patrick, for finding!

Imperial Airways in 1937: Hanno at Al Mahatta Airport in UAE

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 13:03:00 +0000

If you have read my novel, Kamikaze to Croydon, you know that our two Japanese flyers went straight from Karachi to Basra. Their Mitsubishi Ki-15 had that much power.

Out in the desert, there were many other established aerodromes or airfields, but what were conditions there and what did they actually look like?

You can order Kamikaze to Croydon here at Amazon as a paperback, and also at Kindle as an eBook.

I hope you will also be kind enough to leave comments and rate it.

Here is an excerpt:

Our altitude was again near 3,000 metres, which the Ki-15 seemed to find most agreeable, no matter what the conditions were. We had Iran on our right, and there was Arabia proper and Oman, according to the new maps. Tsukagoshi read the names. We reached Musandam and the Strait of Hormuz, which was just 54 kilometres wide.

I clearly recalled all we had back a few months ago was a terrible old chart, with no elevations indicated, and Charles Lindbergh’s new maps were such a revelation. “These maps,” Tsukagoshi muttered, “I have to say, are rather detailed.” He was thinking aloud, and clearly not sure what he was seeing from his windows, compared to the maps in his lap. “My oh my.” I waited for the next burst of intelligence from my trusted navigator, hoping he was not becoming too immersed in his musings.

He slowly continued: “Interesting way to deal with elevations. Would be useful for military missions in these parts of the world. Nothing like the tourist maps we saw before. I am not sure we are allowed to have them.”
“Better keep quiet about them, then.”
“Every oil field is indicated. Topographic profile... It is explained here: 'One type of profile that helps visualize topographic data aids the pilot to understand the topography of rivers is called a longitudinal profile. A longitudinal profile allows you to visualize the changing gradient. A longitudinal profile is a graph of a river's elevation versus its length.' How about that. Applies to flying over deserts, too, apparently. And...”
“Very well. Tsuka? Enough of that. You have any thoughts about how we might get to our next destination, without any of that, whatever you call it.”
“Navigation? It is such an art, and a science. The map here, it is amazing. Such details. You should study it.”
“I might, if you got on with the task of getting us to Basra.”

Our direction now was a smooth curve, I knew that much. West north-west up towards Europe, and compared to the small ships down below, I had no such troubles that they must have, navigating that narrow strait.

Once we were again over land, Tsukagoshi easily found Basra, the desert town in Iraq. We landed promptly at 9:45 am, local time. That was a fine runway, it was very good to land on, we should have that in Japan. They called it bitumen or tarmac, I noted that in my notebook. That stretch over the deserts took us about 4 hours. We were now further in towards the central British possessions, with clear signs of civilization all around, in spite of the remote location. Clearly, they were doing very well there due to their oil wells, according to Tsukagoshi.

I suspected he took a brief nap back there over the Persian Gulf. It was hard to fly yesterday with the sun setting in the west, right in front of me. The small curtain helped. This morning, the sun was behind me and rising. It didn’t bother me much except for the glare from the instruments. If they really wanted pilots to do these long flights on a regular basis, they would have to sort out all such issues, and more.

Tsukagoshi was paying attention to all he saw below, and gave me updates: “Basra is 2,000 km from Karachi, are you tired up there in the front, you Japanese pilot in a rush to get to London?” But I was not tired. It was more the rush of the adrenaline that kept me up and happy. It was a kind of joy that I could not help but feel, as if it was pumping in my blood vessels and veins and recharged each time it hit my heart. “I am a civilian aviator from Nagano, Japan,” I said. “...Who flies with his heart on his sleeve,” shouted Tsukagoshi, explaining the English idiom.

I got it, I got it, I told him I did get it, but he was in one of his splendid moods and had more to explain.

He was such a dear, suddenly he started quoting in his very best English what he said was from Othello:

It is as sure as you are Roderigo,
Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago:
In following him, I follow but myself;
Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,
But seeming so, for my peculiar end:
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
The native act and figure of my heart
In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.

From Shakespeare's Othello (1604)

We both rolled over laughing, well, not literally of course, and he could not hide his exuberance: “'I am not what I am'! You hear that down there, all of you Moors!?”
“Hahaha, yes, we all got it, so who are you?”
“I am air, I am sky! And you would be Roderigo, captain.”
“So am I, we are one and the same.”
“’Heaven is my judge’!”
“Whatever that means. Hey, Tsuka. We may just have reached Arabia, on our little trip, can you believe that?”
“I cannot, Iinuma-kun, I truly cannot believe my eyes. I thought to myself, that this is a magic flying carpet, and we are about to wake up from an ancient dream, straight out of the Arabian Nights stories.”
“You woke up alright. Do admit it. I think you had a nice nap back there while I was busy getting us from there to glorious here.”
“Oh, I might have closed one or two of my eyelids for a second or two, be that as it may…”
“Just joking, dear old chap, we made it all this way.”
“Isn’t the view just marvellous?”
“Not much for me to see, I am just here to fly straight and make sure we land and get to our next destination. But I do dip a wing once in a while to look out of my windows, I will admit to that.”
“Admit all you like. This might be the best flying carpet I have ever had flown on, except for your landings.”

Watch the 1937 video below for an amazing journey back in time. If you were rich enough, the Imperial Airways would take you there - or if you had an important diplomatic mission. Or, as in the case of the Kamikaze-go, owned by the Asahi Newspaper, there was a record to break. To fly from Japan to Europe in less than 100 hours...

This is such a great video of the Imperial Airways and its Handley Page four engine passenger plane, back in 1937.

We get to visit the Al Mahatta Airport (that the Kamikaze-go by-passed).

The Al Mahatta Fort was built in 1932 as the route from Croydon (London) was established. Also, advanced weather report balloons and proper British officers, making sure everything is ready when the Imperial Airways passengers arrive on their way to Singapore or Australia.

The Hanno was a British-made, four-propeller Handley Page HP42 biplane, the first plane to land at Sharjah's airport, known as Al Mahatta. Jupiter engines.

Hanno first flew in 1931 (and was named after Hanno the Navigator, who explored the Atlantic coast of Africa in 570 BC).

Top image from the front cover of Vogue Magazine, June 1937.

That airplane is a Fairchild 24C-8F:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_24

Thanks Pandabonium for help with the research.

The First Air Force One, the Lockheed Constellation, Restored

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 15:16:00 +0000

Update: And wrong I was. It was President Truman who had to deal with General MacArthur, as Pandamonium kindly points out in the comments.

Original post: Great video of the project to save the Columbine II and get it to fly again in 2018:

...Because this is the plane that took President-elect (correct me if I'm wrong) Dwight D. Eisenhower to South Korea in 1952, ~~in order to stop General MacArthur, who was proposing atomic bombs all over the border inside Communist China,~~

Later in 1955, Eisenhower was promoting much the same as the New Look, a policy to expand American nuclear weapons, now against the Soviet Union.

Image (left) from Ladies Love Taildraggers (Kurashi loves blog names like that!)

Known as the Columbine II, this beautiful aircraft, a Lockheed Constellation, was the very first "Air Force One" and now it has been restored and flies again.

From Warfare History Network:

After World War II, Eisenhower went on to serve two terms as President of the United States. MacArthur rendered outstanding service as military governor of postwar Japan but then fell victim to his own ego and defiance of President Harry S. Truman during the Korean War and was removed from command of United Nations forces.

Pan American Boeing 377 Stratocruiser Japan Travelogue - 1952

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 10:14:00 +0000

Back when flying was a luxury, or at least a lot more comfortable than today (except for the smoking!). The destinations were a lot more exotic too...

The Stratocruiser was flying from the US to Honolulu, Wake Island, and arrived at Haneda in Tokyo. Pan Am started flying DC4s to Japan in 1947 and the B-377 was introduced in 1949. 10 years later in 1959, they introduced the B-707 jets which were much faster than the old propeller planes.

Here is a longer promotional film about the Stratocruiser, with some interesting history about the civilian mail services that started flying in the late 1920s.

2018 JAS 39 Gripen Formation Flight Swedish Air Force

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 16:27:00 +0000

Novel Approach: J-Hangar Space Review of My Novel Kamikaze to Croydon

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 15:15:00 +0000

Novel Approach

My editor Patrick Sherriff over at Tower English in Abiko helped me publish my novel on July 21, 2018. I have a lot to say about his skills as an editor, with a keen sense of sticking to his three approaches to fiction editing. Well, it helped me a lot, and his support was terrific...

Here is how Patrick puts it:

Character arcs. Every story is a journey. For a story to have meaning, there has to be change. Characters start out one way, they experience difficulty or, as the novelist calls it, conflict, until by the end of the story they have changed. That basic pattern — starting with a goal in mind, dealing with conflict, changing — should be present in the novel as a whole and within each scene and for every major character.

You can order Kamikaze to Croydon here at Amazon as a paperback, and also at Kindle as an eBook.

I hope you will also be kind enough to leave comments and rate it.

Available now as a 280-page paperback or ebook from all Amazon sites including Amazon.com, Amazon.co.jp and Amazon.co.uk.

Kamikaze to Croydon by Martin J. Frid, available now from all Amazon sites as a paperback and ebook

Paul T in Toda, Saitama, who has the most comprehensive website about airplanes in Japan, published this first review of my novel, Kamikaze to Croydon:

As can be seen below, J-Hangar Space regularly brings news of the latest non-fiction book releases, in English and Japanese, on relevant topics. Anyone interested in reading an example of that rare (non-existent?) bird, a historical novel on a Japanese aviation topic in English, might care to take this one for a test flight.

Written by Martin J. Frid (link), a Swede who has lived in Japan for 30 years, Kamikaze to Croydon provides what can best be described as a fact-based fictionalized account of a well-documented deed of derring-do—the Asahi Shimbun-sponsored flight from Tokyo to Croydon in 1937.

No ‘spoiler’ alerts needed, as the writer used up no artistic/pilot’s license on a ‘what if’ ending.

The book is available in Paperback and Kindle versions, and preview pages provided, on an Amazon screen near you.

Paul T also noted the following, since I mentioned the Pilot pen in my novel:

You're probably aware that the name Pilot actually comes from one of the founders having been a pilot in the merchant navy.

Drive for the Future (1980) - The Toyota Story

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 15:30:00 +0000

This is a fun movie about how Toyota got its start in the early 20th century, with a lot of details from the factory floor and how to fund such an adventure. In the 1920s, Japan was importing some 2000-4000 cars and trucks and made almost nothing domestically.

GM and Ford had factories in Japan, back then. Now, the foot is firmly on the other shoe, ahem...

How to get that first model A1 to go that extra mile, in 1936 or so?

In my novel, Kamikaze to Croydon, I mention how young Iinuma Maasaki, the pilot of my novel, reacts to seeing one of these Toyotas in Tokyo.

You can order Kamikaze to Croydon here at Amazon as a paperback, and also at Kindle as an eBook.

I hope you will also be kind enough to leave comments and rate it.

Do click that link, and go through the easy steps.

His sempai and navigator, Tsukagoshi Kenji, warns him that making such vehicles would require a lot of resources, that Japan did not have.

We were interrupted as a black car drove past on the broad street near the huge red burnt brick building that was such a symbol of this part of town, Tokyo Station. I almost pointed but just nudged Tsukagoshi's arm instead: “Look, that’s the new Toyota car from the Koromo factory in Aichi, they just released them.”

“What will they think of next?”

“Well, listen! That’s the AA 4 door sedan. It has a 3 speed floor shift gearbox. 6 cylinder engine, listen to that noise. I read that it weighs as much as 1,500 kilograms. They reckon it is almost as sturdy as the Dodge and even faster, some say.”

“I think I much prefer the cockpit of an aeroplane, but it would be fun to ride a car like that just once. Have you seen the Bentleys they have over at the British Embassy?”

“That one looks really comfortable. Leather seats!” I kept staring as the car drove off leaving a cloud of black smoke, after having let a suit-clad gentleman out from the rear, looking like he was in a rush to board a train.

How about it, dear readers of Kurashi, for a long, long time...

Meanwhile, here is how the 1980 movie caught our mid 1930s era.

Jay Leno liked the 1936 Toyota AA Replica this much "...and it drives quite nicely!":

If you like long-winded Japanese documentaries, here is more about Toyota, and how it got to number one in sales, world wide:

Flygdag på F10 Ängelholm, 1995, Draken

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 15:49:00 +0000

Swedish Draken fighter. How we managed to stay neutral during the Cold War. Read more about my visit this summer, to the F10 Royal Air Force Museum here.

And more from 2018: "Not an eye is dry" watching this unique formation of Swedish-built aircraft, including the Tunnan, Draken, Viggen and Gripen.

Radio Controlled: This is How Popular the Ki-15 is in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 14:09:00 +0000

New update in my novel:

　Then I went to watch this sad new movie, Osaka Elegi, about a girl and the city which I almost never had any time to venture into, with its neon lights and modern music and the Kansai accent that I found hilarious. But, I could not understand the ending.
After that, I had the sense that Osaka would surpass anything, if left to its own devices. The new subway line from Umeda was in the movie, and I mentioned it in a letter to Tsukagoshi in Tachikawa. And he replied, “I hope to join you soon.”

You can order Kamikaze to Croydon here at Amazon as a paperback, and also at Kindle as an eBook.

I hope you will also be kind enough to leave comments and rate it.

Do click that link, and go through the easy steps.

These guys make the best radio controlled "scale flying" events, which in 2016 involved the Mitsubishi Ki-15 "Kamikaze-go" that was privately owned by Asahi Shimbun in 1937.

1985 TV Drama About the Ki-15 Flight to London

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 11:05:00 +0000

Just a few years before I first arrived on these shores, TV Asahi made a special dramatization about the events I cover in my novel, Kamikaze to Croydon.

Order it here at Amazon

The 1985 TV drama is a bit silly, but then so was a lot of TV back then.

These scenes, however, are really beautiful, filmed with a model airplane, set to the music by Brahms.

美貌なれ昭和 (Bibonare Showa) means something like "The Beautiful Showa" and the dramatization included segments about the female Japanese violinist, Nejiko Suwa, who was studying and performing in Europe during the 1930s until 1945. Enjoy.

Now, if seeing that makes you want to make a balsa wood model of the Ki-15, there are the drawings and lots of helpful advice, from Mike Stuart in the UK!

Thanks for finding, P.

Totoro and Forests You Can Visit West of Tokyo

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 15:24:00 +0000

When I arrived to these shores, I had almost no idea about anime or manga.

This is where I learn my pottery, in Hibita, east of Tokorozawa.

And, when was Totoro set? 1958?

It is a major push for environmental education. Where? Tokorozawa.

This is one forest you can visit from Tokyo.

In April of 1990, with the objective of preserving the lush nature of Sayama Hills to future generations, the National Trust of Totoro no Furusato was born. Due to the efforts of 5 initial contributors, including film director Hayao Miyazaki, a large amount of donations were received from all across Japan.
Sayama Hills is known as the inspiration of Mr.Hayao Miyazaki’s animation masterpiece, “Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro, 1988)”. The Trust Fund was named in its honor.

Totoro Fund Website

We are a legally incorporated foundation with the purpose of preserving the beautiful natural habitat and cultural assets of Sayama Hills and its surrounding areas.
As of March 1, 2016

Back then, Studio Ghibli was just starting to make a difference, artistically and emotionally and wonderfully.

But levitation, how did he come to that transcendental thought?

"Where Totoro was Born" - a new book published in May, 2018.

How about Hayao Miyazaki and his crew in Kogane, Tokyo, plus his roots in Tokorozawa, near Hibita, where I do pottery. Miyazaki says, "Without Tokorozawa, I could not have made my movies." But he also will not let any of his characters be used on city buses, trains, or anywhere in the city.

Living near places like the Totoro Forest, a rare piece of land in this part of Saitama that Miyazaki has lent his name to, as it is all volunteer foundation based.

The origins and development of the Foundation

Biocultural preservation efforts at Sayama Hills have been in place since the 1970s. As a result, most of the natural habitats in the hills have been protected. However, due to urban and leisure facility development, destruction of the habitat, through deforestation and illegal dumping, is clearly visible.

In April of 1990, with the objective of preserving the lush nature of Sayama Hills to future generations, the National Trust of Totoro no Furusato was born. Due to the efforts of 5 initial contributors, including film director Hayao Miyazaki, a large amount of donations were received from all across Japan.

Sayama Hills is known as the inspiration of Mr.Hayao Miyazaki’s animation masterpiece, “Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro, 1988)”. The Trust Fund was named in its honor.

And I get how he is always into "forest" and "flying" but - levitation?

Love this poster from 1986:

Tot

Castle in the Sky - Kimi o Nosete / Carrying You (HQ)

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 14:33:00 +0000

From one of the great Ghibli movies, how about it.

Castle in the Sky is a 1986 Japanese animated adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was the very first film animated by Studio Ghibli and was animated for Tokuma Shoten. It follows the adventures of a young boy and girl attempting to keep a magic crystal from a group of military agents, while searching for a legendary floating castle.

Music by Joe Hisashi.

Visiting Pilot Iinuma Masaaki Museum in Nagano

noreply@blogger.com (Martin J Frid) — Sat, 01 Sep 2018 11:48:00 +0000

A couple of years ago while I was writing the novel Kamikaze to Croydon, I made the trip to a very special place.

飯沼飛行士記念館

While Japan has a lot of (small or medium-size) airplane museums, see Paul Thompson's excellent website, J-HangarSpace, I think this is the only one dedicated to a single pilot.

This is Iinuma Masaaki's birthplace, in what is now Azumino, Nagano Prefecture.

A wonderful old farm house located a short walk from the station, with the Japanese Alps as the backdrop. Not far from Matsumoto, it is worth the trip if you are interested in aviation history.

The exhibits are mostly a collection of items from The Asahi Shimbun, that sponsored his famous flight to London in April 1937. As you all probably know by now, he was a civilian pilot employed by the newspaper, setting records to Beijing and Taipei even before that famous event. The photo above shows his real Pilot's Licence from 1941.

The light wasn't the best, but here is a map he and his navigator, Tsukagoshi Kenji, used with the red crayon line drawn as a suggested route over parts of the Netherlands.

I liked how there were several models of the Kamikaze plane. The name of course has nothing to do with later events during WW2, but was selected by readers of the Asahi for promotion.

Lots of photos added to the atmosphere but it is a pity that the real plane itself was destroyed.

The museum has an official website in Japanese here.