The Chūnichi Shimbun Morning Edition – May 26, 2006 A workaholic husband who neglects his family, and a wife who dreams of independence and decides to divorce him... The film Kramer vs. Kramer , released 27 years ago in the United States, is rich in insight and seems to have foretold issues facing modern Japan. In the movie, Dustin Hoffman's character returns home elated after closing a major deal at work, only to find his wife packing her belongings. Despite his desperate at

The Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition, May 19, 2006 The Dream Jumbo Lottery is now on sale. Many people dream, “If I win first prize, I’ll build a house and travel the world.” For habitual gamblers, such fantasies of striking it rich are part of everyday life. The 1989 American film Let It Ride , starring Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss, portrays the true essence of gambling. The protagonist is a taxi driver who loves horse racing. Though he has been losing money chasing

Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition – May 12, 2006 When people hear “diabetes,” they often imagine an adult lifestyle disease caused by obesity. But this refers to type 2  diabetes. There are also people who suffer from type 1  juvenile diabetes, a condition in which the body is born with an insufficient amount of insulin—the hormone that regulates blood sugar. Most patients must draw blood from their fingertips four times a day to monitor their blood sugar levels and administer

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