Christmas must be one of the most important and memorable holidays of the year for Americans, when many of them want to feel love among their friends and families. In fact, the author of “The 25 Days of Christmas” writes that Christmas is “a treasured family holiday, a time full of joy and love.” As a translator of nine Christmas stories, I am quite sure that, with some sympathy toward characters, Japanese readers can also appreciate the spirit of Christmas beautifully described in these short stories.
The nine Christmas stories were selected and translated into Japanese from the following books:

Sally A. Breslin, “The Department Store Santa.” A Second Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul. Ed. Jack Canfield et al. Florida: Health Communications, 1998.
Pearl S. Buck, “Christmas Day in the Morning.” A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, 1995.
Cynthia Mercati, “Dad Is There for Me Again―and Always.” Chicken Soup for the Single’s Soul, 1999.
Bobbie Bonk, “Christmas in a Nutshell.” Chicken Soup for the Father and Daughter Soul, 2005.
Nancy McBee, “From the Heart.” Chicken Soup for the Parent’s Soul, 2000.
Mary J. Davis, “A Happy-Ever-After.” A Second Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul.
Kittie Ellis, “Keeping the Magic.” Chicken Soup for the Parent’s Soul.
Chanda Stelter, “The 25 Days of Christmas.” Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul, 2005.
Susan Adair, “The Christmas Star.” A Second Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul.

View full abstract

This is a report on the possibility of applying the Graph Theory to some traffic plan problems in the city planning. In this report, first we survey the whole ranges of both graph theory and traffic plan problems, and then we search for the applicability of the graph theory toward these problems; in particular, we focus on the city planning of Maebashi area in view of a disaster prevention, and evaluate the suitability of the existing dispositions of refuges in Maebashi area by a graph theoretic approach.
This approach is based on the latest result in graph theory, which is classified into graph decompositions. Research in this field has been and is being done extensively by many graph theorists (including the first author in this report), and hence, as the thesis in graph theory makes any good progress, we can expect to obtain the best answer to the problem on the dispositions of refuges in a city.

View full abstract

The city activity allocation affects transportation capacity investment and convenience of the user. The author analyzed the relation on the basis of the virtual city which depended on public transportation. Though the city activity allocation (4 cases) is considerably violent setting in order to advance the discussion, the total amount of the allocation of floor space is same in all cases.
From the trial, the route length was long for the service of the public transportation, when the city activity allocation thinly expanded, and the route of the low frequency would be formed, and it was possible to clarify that the convenience of the public transportation lowered as the result. Therefore, it is desirable that the city activity allocation is high-density in order to promote the utilization of the public transportation, and that the city area is also compact.

View full abstract

TOSHI imitates UTAAWASE in which the participants vie and the judge decides superiority or inferiority of their WAKA, so TOSHI was named SHIAWAE. TOSHI was held in the third year of TENTOKU (A.D.)%)), and the oldest SHIAWASE in Japan. The summary of the event of TOSHI is written in TENTOKUTOSHI, so we can learn not only the KANSHI and the victory or defeat but also actual situation of TOSHI. In this note we annotated on the poem No.9.

View full abstract

The drain current of the metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) are controlled by the gate voltage. In some textbooks for universities and colleges the reason of the above characteristics is explained due to the change of the inversion layer thickness as “the current increases with the increase of the inversion layer thickness.” However this explanation is wrong. The right explanation why the drain currents are controlled by the gate voltage is that the total charge density induced in the inversion layer exponentially increase with the surface potential. In this paper why the explanation using the inversion layer thickness is wrong, and the right explanation is induced. In addition some examples of those wrong explanation are shown.

View full abstract

National colleges of technology were organized into independent administrative institutions in April 2004. All staffs of college need to perform appropriate correspondence to environment, safety and health (ESH), because the industrial safety and health law are enforced. This paper describes correspondence to ESH in chemistry and materials science. The purpose of this report is examination of details of management of chemical reagent, waste water treatment and safety-health. The present status and matters also inspect. Management of chemical reagent and waste water treatment are carried out according to official regulations of gunma national college of technology. The knowledge of ESH is important for all members of college. Environmental education and total management system of ESH will be necessary to solve issues.

View full abstract

The present paper deals with the introduction and its effects on student practices of Audio-Visual Aids as a teaching tool in the organic laboratory courses at Gunma National College of Technology. Students occasionally misunderstand ways of handling chemicals and apparatuses used, which may lead to serious laboratory accidents. We, therefore, have considered necessity of introduction of Audio-Visual Aids on how to perform the experiments effectively and safely. We have carried out lectures using the Audio-Visual Aids containing methods of handling apparatuses and chemicals. Based on our observations and analyses of the questionnaire, it is reasonable to consider that students have gained better understanding of the contents of experiments and their skills needed for safer and more effective experiments have been improved.

View full abstract

We report on the outline of the Gunma environmental expedition project supported by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Since there is a large number of hot springs in Gunma, we made elementary schoolchildren and their parents investigate the analysis of the hot springs in this project. The sources of Minakami, Shima, Ikaho, and Isobe hot springs were previously prepared and the participants examined the analysis of them. The pH, total hardness, iron content, boron content, chloride content, and COD (chemical oxygen demand) were investigated. The results of the analysis were discussed with the participants. Next day, we went to the Kusatsu hot spring with all the participants, and observed and investigated the origin of the Kusatsu hot spring. According to the analysis, it is found that the origin of the Kusatsu hot spring has extremely high acidity. Since it is very strong acid, we showed that it can melt metals such as iron and magnesium.

View full abstract

The history of practical exercises on physics for the students in Gunma National College of Technology is reported for the sake to give a reference list for planning a next generation of the education system. All of the years of the college’s history, which exceeds more than 40 years, are divided into 5 periods and, in each period, circumstances of experimental education on physics for the aspect of experimental exercise are described with related circumstances on education about physics in the college. Subjects of the experiments are listed too and the contents of each subject are explained briefly to give bird’s eye view on the contents of the practical exercises.

View full abstract

Easy auto-measurements are introduced for student experiments and undergraduate researches, for example, a thermocouple, an audio tube amplifier, etc. Digital instruments are often used instead of analog ones nowadays. Then many measurements are carried out automatically. Auto-measurements reduce measuring time, human load and errors. They are helpful for student experiments, because students are able to have enough time to check their measuring results, and then to carry out their experiments again. Auto-measurements require software. It is usually hard to prepare measuring programs. However, it is not hard for student experiments of measuring volt, current and so on. If program modules for GPIB or RS-232C are used, their measuring programs become easy and small in size. The author taught students to prepare measuring programs using Excel VBA with their program modules. Many students had little programming experience, but they were able to prepare and use them for their experiments.

View full abstract

A spatial link mechanism is investigated theoretically using moving frame attached to each link. Relative infinitesimal movement of a link with respect to other link is represented by the differential form. Velocity and acceleration relations between arbitrary two points on a link are derived using the form. By the velocity relation, a link is proved to move around a screw axis relative to another link along which axis the link rotates and translates simultaneously. A planar link mechanism is regarded as a special case where the translational velocity along the screw axis vanishes. The Hook’s joint is analysed as an example using the screw axes to derive the relative angular velocities of the two axes on the crosspiece.

View full abstract

Effects of inoculation, sulfate concentration, DO and anaerobic shock on filamentous bulking due to growth of type 021N were examined using the laboratory scale activated sludge reactors. Inoculation of filamentous bacteria and sulfate reducing bacteria did not affect the occurrence of bulking. The high sulfate concentration of the wastewater is one of the courses of filamentous bulking. However, when the sulfate concentration was low, filamentous bulking occurred. Low DO and anaerobic shock were important factors of filamentous bulking. The number and the activities of sulfate reducing bacteria in the bulking sludge was higher than those in the non-bulking sludge. And sulfate reducing bacteria coexist with sulfur oxidation bacteria. From the results by the FISH method, filamentous bacteria grew in the bulking sludge after anaerobic shock was Type 021N group II and sulfate reducing bacteria were observed in the bulking sludge.

View full abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to survey new topics in 8 English Reading textbooks authorized in 2007 by the Ministry of Education in Japan. It cannot be denied that each textbook obtains its own character, but it is surprising that every textbook has very similar topics. Generally, it consists of the following 7 common kinds of themes: 1) world peace, 2) environmental problems, 3) physically challenged people, 4) foreign countries, 5) English, 6) science, 7) literature. Probably because the nation experienced the sheer misery and was completely defeated in the Second World War, the government of Japan seems to expect the people, especially, the young students, to study and appreciate the value of world peace and human rights, both of which are believed to have been gained after the war. Japanese authors of the English textbooks, who are mostly university professors understanding the national policy, are also eager to realize the ideal world without war, poverty and any sort of discrimination. Perhaps their attitudes are not wrong in the least; but are they really right in choosing topics for the students who want to learn English? Is there any possibility of the authorized textbooks preventing Japanese students of English from enjoying learning the foreign language at school? The students wanting to be able to use English do not always want to become such moral cosmopolitans as the Ministry of Education has expected them to be. It is too rude to call the authorized English textbooks boring. On the contrary, some stories are really good. Despite the moral lessons, they are definitely worth reading. For example, Bethany Hamilton in “Soul Surfer,” or Christina Santhouse in “Life with Half a Brain” might move the students even to tears. “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf” will help the students think about their own life. Yet the textbooks with one exception lack in laughter. The Ministry of Education as well as the textbook authors should change their too serious views on ideal English textbooks as soon as possible, and encourage the students to much more enjoy studying English with some good, humorous stories.

View full abstract

Being far from conventional conservatism, artists tend to insist on going ahead of their times. It is likely that innovative writers are censured and suppressed by the dominant culture, for they violate not only cultural stereotypes but also social expectations. Kate Chopin, the author of The Awakening, was one of those writers who are far ahead of their times, and she was condemned throughout the U.S.A. though she had established her literary reputation as a regional writer before its publication in 1899. The novel was unrecognized for a long period because it was regarded as scandalous by much of the society. In spite of its tumultuous history, the American feminist literary movement in the 1960s, half a century after publication, helped Kate Chopin become a prestigious writer. In other words, because of the new rise of American feminist criticism, The Awakening has been considered one of the most highly sophisticated books in the United States literary canon. The proper status of the work has been afforded, and it has found an appeal with general readers and secured a place as well in the literary curricula in many American college and university courses. Chopin creates Edna Pontellier, the heroine of the story, as a married woman who is spiritually awakened in the course of her domestically restricted life and seeks her own individuality. The novel encompasses many themes such as dignity of individuality and vision of freedom. One of the most important themes that Chopin wants to present in the story is evidently Edna’s awakened love for a charming man named Robert Lebrun. Throughout Edna’s spiritual struggle toward self-fulfillment in her life, her love for him is awakened after his first denial of her. However, his second denial of her immediately causes her ultimate depression, and she walks into the ocean alone, hopelessly, for she has no solution for her loss of love. Death is the only escape that she is able to imagine.

View full abstract

The author stayed at Georgia Institute of Technology in the U.S. as a visiting assistant professor during nine months. Recently, Japanese martial arts have promoted internationalization. The author was in communication with the local people using KENDO which he has practiced as one of his lifework. In this essay, it reports that the author took part in the some KENDO events and what to feel in the southeast of the U.S. Then the author briefly reports on the Georgia Kendo Alliance and Southeast US Kendo Federation. Finally it informed how to get the KENDO-GU (protector and bamboo sword) and the textbook about KENDO for American people.

View full abstract

This essay aims to instruct students as to the best way to prepare an essay in Japanese. While at elementary, junior-high and high school emphasis falls on the underlying idea, at higher education educational institutions emphasis is on the logical construction on the essay.

View full abstract