Because I was injured by medical malpractice in 1989, I thought I couldn’t work a regular 40 hour a week job, I decided that I needed a skill that would allow me to work at home. Since I had an interest in handwriting analysis starting in the 70’s I decided to take a correspondence course. The hope was that clients would mail in their handwriting samples.

For twenty months I corresponded with the International Graphoanalysis School in Chicago. However, most people don’t know about handwriting analysis so the reality is that it is difficult to make a living at it. On the other hand, it is useful for me to understand how other people think when I introduce myself. I present my calling card to them and ask them to sign their signature on the back. Then I describe what I see in their handwriting.

Although it is not possible to make a living with handwriting analysis in Hawaii, I am glad I took the course because it is a good ice breaker skill at parties.

I was born with a hearing impairment. I made it much worse playing drums and it is a severe hearing loss in which I can only understand amplified speech. In particular I cannot hear high frequencies. My hearing loss affects my speech and I cannot pronounce my birth name Bruce correctly. To other people it sounds like Boose, Booth, or Bwoose. It is very frustrating to be unable to pronounce my own name. Consequently I decided to change my name.

People with the name Scott have made a good impression on me so I had this name numerologically analyzed and it came out positive. However there already is a Scott Nakamura in the phonebook so I decided to be Scot with one T.

I concluded that since someday I might be living in Japan it would be a good idea to have a western first name and a Japanese middle name. I looked on the Internet for Japanese names. I consulted with my Nihonjin friends and selected Eisaku after analyzing it with numerology. I then analyzed the full name Scot Eisaku Nakamura with numerology and the result was positive so I selected this name.

Name changes in Hawaii are processed by the Lieutenant Governor’s office which conducts a background check because a person cannot change his name for the purpose of evading the law or creditors. After the Lieutenant Governor’s office approves the name change application, the applicant has to run an ad in the newspaper.

Because I was Bruce for 56 years, I am still not used to my new name, but I am glad that I can pronounce my new name Scot correctly every time.

A long time ago, there was a mango tree in our yard.  However, it produced only a small amount of fruit, so my parents decided to hire a yardman to cut it down.  A professional yardman has the proper tools and experience to cut a tree down, but for an amateur, the work is difficult and can be dangerous because the tree might fall down on the amateur.  The tree was about 15 feet tall.  Our house has a basement, first floor, and second floor.  The tree was about one and a half stories tall.

Also a long time ago, we had a papaya tree.  I cannot remember why my father cut it down.  I cannot remember if he cut it down or hired a yardman to do the work.

There are several reasons why I like Japan. I have found Japan to be a more refined and subtle society, with a greater appreciation for the ethereal and evanescent aspects of life, compared to America which by comparison is generally more brusque, brash, and in your face.

Also, I think that traditional Japanese food has less fat and sugar and therefore is more healthy to eat. However, as the Japan diet becomes more westernized, I have noticed that the young Nihonjin are beginning to become soft and flabby.

The American public school system tends to be overly casual as compared to Japan. I have seen American high school students dressed like they are going to beach instead of class. For example, I have seen high school girls going to school wearing shorts 12-16 inches above the knee, with slippers, and T-shirts. How can they have a serious attitude towards learning?

In the past 38 years, as Japan has become more westernized, and more Nihonjin are practicing western individualism, there is more crime and drug use than when I went to summer school at Sophia University in 1972. Yet, Japan is still a safer country to live in than America.

Japan compared to America is an ancient country with a developed culture, and the contrast between the eastern and western cultures provides an opportunity to select the better aspects of both. Japan’s bunka or culture has been influenced by the Confucian aspects of ancient China, such as a respect for seniors, although as Japan becomes more American like, this aspect is dissipating. While all people are legally equal, there are some aspects of life that one knows of, by having lived longer and experiencing more failures and disappointments which creates wisdom and a more balanced perspective on life.

I hope to learn enough Nihongo to be able to live in Japan at least for several months.