young people in Japan 2012

cross-posting from Japan Foundation newsletter:

LIGHT UP NIPPON: Introducing Young People's Challenge to Energize the

Devastated Areas in Tohoku Region through Fireworks

The Japan Foundation produced a documentary film that featured challenges by the
young Japanese people supporting Tohoku's recovery for the purpose of presenting
a vivid image of today's young generation in Japan.

http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/culture/commonness/lightup-nippon/index.html

conversion from Chinese characters to several E.Asian readings

http://www.cojak.org/ gives the Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese, both onyomi and kunyumi, for nearly all characters according to today's electronic list for Korean Studies

Peace Park in Nagasaki (text)

There is a nice description of the statue at the Peace Park in the May edition of Anthropology News, online public access during this month.

NAGASAKI PEACE PARK mentioned in the article URL for the whole article with photo and the following long caption:
http://www.anthropology-news.org/index.php/2012/04/26/on-happiness/

Japanese youth visiting the Nagasaki Peace Park a short distance from ground zero. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and its horrible consequences are part of the Japanese national education curriculum, including field trips to those cities' peace parks. In the background is Seibo Kitamura's ten-meter bronze "The Peace Statue," which was erected in August of 1955 by the citizens of Nagasaki "as an appeal for lasting world peace and a prayer that such tragedy would never be repeated." According to the interpretive plaque, "The elevated right hand points to the threat of nuclear weapons, while the outstretched left hand symbolizes tranquility and world peace. Divine omnipotence and love are embodied in the sturdy physique and gentle countenance of the statue, and a prayer for the repose of all the souls of all war victims is expressed in the closed eyes. Furthermore, the folded right leg symbolizes quiet meditation while the left leg is poised for action in assisting humanity." Photo courtesy Barbara Rose Johnston
photo alone, http://www.anthropology-news.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/anw-Johnston-apr121.jpg