Baby's 100 Day Miyamairi

This last week marked our son Luis-Makoto's 100th Day on this Earth. In keeping with our adopted Japanese traditions first being the Shinto Hatsumiyamairi or Baby's first Shrine Visit on the 30th Day, we conclude with the Buddhist 100 Day Miyamairi ceremony performed at the Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo. This is something we did six years ago for our daughter Mia. Surviving members of the Rosas Family and friends attended the service performed by Ryuzen Hayashi Sensei that included student Priest Tony Truong as seen in the above photo. We were blessed to have a son so that our daughter would not be alone in this world and further that our family line would continue. These blessings are done to ensure a long and happy life full of success. We with him great success!

Japan's Stealth Era Starts Now

Seen here is the JASDF's brand new F-35A Stealth Fighter at Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture. It is the first of ten planes to be deployed between now and April 2018 that will complete a full squadron of these controversial multi-role single engine Generation 5 fighter planes built by U.S. Defense Contractor Lockheed Martin. The JASDF plans to have 42 of these high performance fighters that will carry the long range JSM missiles to counter the growing threats posed by North Korea and those posed in the South China Sea. The F-35A is scheduled to replace Japan's remaining Generation 3 F-4 Phantoms which have been in service for over 40 years. Thier arrival officially brings Japan's Air Self Defense Force into the Stealth Era.

一日の画像 Picture of the Day

Seen here is recently resurfaced photo that had been making the rounds on Facebook of the Commemorative Air Force's (Camarillo Wing) Zero arriving in New Zealand for the 2010 "Warbirds Over Wanaka" airshow. We've seen this plane many times and get nervous when they ship her overseas. We hope the people in New Zealand enjoyed as much as we have seeing her fly.

Signs of Dangerous Times: Tokyo's 1st Military Attack Drills Since WWII

This week for the first time since the end of the Second World War, Tokyo citizens held evacuation drills to rehearse in the event of an military attack. Only now. the threats no longer come from waves of American B-29 bombers carrying clumsy incendiary bombs. Rather they come from North Korea's missile launches that could potentially carry nuclear warheads with a kiloton yield far greater than what destoryed Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the closing days of WWII. And while this was just a simulation, recent events must have added a sense of urgency if not panic among some of its participants scambling for cover as messages read over loudspeakers:"We have information that a missile launch has occurred. Please evacuate calmly inside a building or underground." Monents later, a second message was announced via loudspeaker: "The missile passed. The missile likely flew over the Kanto region towards the Pacific Ocean." Scary stuff!

With the unstable leadership from Washington now entering it's second year and increased missile tests from the rogue nation seeking to use it's growing nuclear arsenel as a means to blackmail the world into giving Kim Jong Un's totalitarian regime aid, we can expect the need for more drills to prepare the Citizens of Japan for the real possibility of a war that will spill over from the Korean penninsula that Japan nor it's vocal pacifists can not avoid. We at American Mishima certainly hope and pray that war does not befall Japan or the region but these are dangerous times and the realities of the 21st Century are upon us. Please continue to pray for peace.

New Year Begins As Era Nears End

あけまして おめでとう ございます!

A New Year Begins as the sun begins to set on the Heisei Era. It was good to see Emperor Akihito greet the throngs of crowds that greet him every New Years Day once more. Next year will be his last appearence at the balcony of the Imperial Palace as the troch will be passed to Crown Prince Naruhito will become Emperor after the Abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne April 30th, 2019. Many will have memories to share and thoughts to convey on this upcoming event. An event that has not happened in over 200 years. For us, we think of how we were born in the Showa Era and our children in the Heisei Era. We really admired Emperor Akihito and appreciated his yearly New Years Greetings. We will miss him as in less than two years time we will greet a New Emperor and a New Era. We wish the Emperor & Empress Michiko, Crown Prince Naruhito, and the rest of the Imperial Family and all citizens of Japan a Happy New Years!