#54
September, 2004

This page is written monthly by Harumi Okochi,
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#1 GREETING



Torahiko Nakashima



September Song

Well, it’s a long, long time
From May to December
But the days grow short,
When you reach September.
And the autumn weather
Turns the leaves to gray
And I haven’t got time
For the waiting game.

And the days dwindle down
To a precious few . . .
September, November . . .
And these few precious days
I spend with you.
These precious days
I spend with you.






Torahiko Nakashima's precious days in Hawaii.


I would like to introduce you one of my e-mail friends, Mr. Torahiko Nakashima.
He was born in 1953 in Ureshino Town, about 1 hour drive from Karatsu.
When he was a university student, an accident injured his cervical cord.

Now he is a poet, essayist, novelist and also a critic.
His challenges have always encouraged people around him including me.

Recently Torahiko told me about his journey to Hawaii.
So I asked him to allow me to introduce him on my web-page.

Please be happy with me for Brave Tiger ( Torahiko means Tiger Man).
His "Quest" in Waikiki has been achieved,












































Cervical cord injured people 's trip to Hawaii
        written by Torahiko Nakashima

On the Sand
Wheel-chairs
All empty

   
  (Haiku by Torahiko Nakashima)

I was floating in the cobalt-blue waves in Waikiki.
In Japan, when we suddenly get to see something clear, we often say, "Oh, scales dropped off from my eyes!"In my case, I felt as if scales dropped off my buttocks. As our bottoms are always oppressed against wheel-chairs or beds, if we float in water, we feel stresses softly slip away from us. As I am paralyzed from the breast down, I can not feel water, but my eyes and ears and nose can make it up enough. In the swimming-ring ,which is my only lifeline. I paddled with both hands and changed directions.
 White sand-beach, palm-trees, and skyscrapers were suddenly before my eyes. Then I felt a great joy of achievement. "At last I swam in the sea of Hawaii!" I!d say I am the first spinal cord injured Japanese who dared to swim here.

When I was leaving the water, two young men on the beach came and helped me in a natural way.

It was three summers after my first swimming in Omura Bay in Nagasaki Prefecture, which was mentioned in Mr. Tamio Sakai's newspaper column.



In the end of June.2004, I went to Hawaii for a trip of 7days 5 nights. It might be a too optimistic act in this scaring world situation, but I wanted to join the meeting planned by a magazine, Post- card Communications. If I miss this chance, I would never see Hawaii in my life. Until this year, the members met in Hiroshima, Yokohama, Fukuoka, Kyoto, etc., but this year it was planned to have an experience of a trip abroad. For the first trial, someplace safe and of reasonable cost. We were a big team of 15 motor wheel chairs and 23 carers.

Most of them look heavier than me with heavier disabilities and heavier equipments. Some of them are successful business-men like building owner, company president, tutoring-school owner, etc.

This is my second trip abroad, after a one-day tour to Pusan, Korea. But for most of the members, this was the first experience. So our journey was full of excitements, like the famous Japanese comedy of Yaji-Kita ( two ignorant men Yajirobei and Kitahachi for the first time made a trip and made many laughable mistakes).

The first hurdle for me was the 8 hours' flight of going. Our tickets were the economy-class, so the seats were very tight. Smaller people, using some cushions under knees, somehow could take resting positions, but I am a big guy, stuck in the chair, and could not move. I kept looking at my watch, and endured my inferno.

The next problem in the hotel. In my house, I have a supporting device above my bed, and it helps me for the urination or posture-changing. But, here in a hotel, how can I do this?
I was going to stick a pole onto my wheel-chair and hang a rope from the pole, but luckily enough, I found this condominium's partition between the living room and the bed room was a wooden one, and I could hang the rope there with two s-shaped hooks.
The chamber-maid, whom I have tipped beforehand, did not say No.

The bus to Polynesian Culture Center ran swaying too rough through the mountain road. I felt sick and asked the driver to go more slowly. In the Honolulu Zoo, it was too hot, and I got heat illness. When enjoying barbecue at the lounge, a drunken Australian soldier came on me. I gave him a copy of a book of my Haikus, with my own English translations.He praised me very much. I have many other happy memories. I hope I can have another opportunity to tell them to you.


At a street corner,
He catheterizes himself.
A wall to hide him
I will be
As high as a skyscraper.

(Tanka by Torahiko Nakashima)




mail to Torahiko Nakashima

Thank you very much for meeting Torahiko Nakashima.
He will be happy if you send your comment on his trip to Hawaii.


I hope you enjoy your precious days with your precious people in beautiful September!



Thank you very much for visiting this page.
I hope you will return next month.
Yours, Harumi Okochi

Proprietress of Ryokan Yoyokaku






  Mail to Harumi Okochi