The Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition – May 5, 2006 A student named Mr. A joined a university sports club. What awaited him at the welcome party was the notorious "ikkinomi"—a form of binge drinking. Senior students kept forcing beer and shochu down his throat. Eventually, Mr. A collapsed and passed out. One of the seniors noticed that his breathing was shallow and he was unconscious. In a panic, they called an ambulance. Fortunately, Mr. A’s life was saved. Alcohol, in large

Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition, April 28, 2006 The film Born on the Fourth of July  (1990, USA) portrays a returning soldier who was born on America’s Independence Day. The protagonist, played by Tom Cruise, is driven by patriotism and a sense of duty to volunteer for service in Vietnam. However, he loses a close friend in battle and suffers a spinal cord injury himself, leaving him confined to a wheelchair. Upon returning home during a time of widespread anti-war sentiment

The Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition, April 21, 2006 When I talk with people who have disabilities or exchange letters with them, I am often struck by the sharpness of their sensibilities and the accuracy of their perceptions of others. Once, a person with cerebral palsy told me, “That doctor may be a professor, but he doesn’t seem to understand how patients feel.” It made me realize that an innocent heart, unbound by titles, can sometimes see the truth more clearly than othe

The Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition – April 14, 2006 Alzheimer’s disease, the most representative form of dementia, is a condition in which the brain gradually shrinks. As it progresses, one may even lose the ability to recognize their own reflection in the mirror. Let us introduce a film that takes up this theme: The Notebook  (2004, USA). An 80-year-old man reads a book aloud to his wife, who has lost her memory. It’s a poignant love story from the distant past. In the 194

The Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition, April 7, 2006 “A sound mind in a sound body.” This well-known phrase, often attributed to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, actually comes from a line in an ancient Roman poem. However, the reality is that even those with healthy bodies can suffer from mental illness. And when the mind is afflicted, the body often shows signs of distress as well. Simply strengthening the body does not guarantee mental wel