We live in a funny place in Yanaka. It has been called the last gasp of Edo - tiny rabbit warren streets punctuated by trees, street jizos and temples, full of neighbors who know each other too well.
Our new activity is fighting against Sogo-gisho company as they build their cement monster on the other side of the roji (little alley) from my house. We are a neighborhood full of neighbors. Every time you go out you see people you know on the street. They say, "hello," and they bow.  Sogo-gisho is trying to change that by building a giant slab of cement full of eel bed apartments.
I am glad my neighbors get together each week and protest. We march and we shout and we sing. We march to tell Sogo-gisho what Sogo-gisho already knows - We march to tell Sogo-gisho that they are wrong. And that money is not a good enough reason to do something wrong. 

December 2001
A street too narrow for cars? In my home town every street is made for cars.
 In this old part of Tokyo there are little streets made just for people.
 The small alleys and back streets are disappearing, just like the little wooden houses beside them.  Whole neighborhoods are gobbled up by apartment buildings.  Meeting, or even speaking with each other is not necessary anymore. 
This week my neighbors went against the trend. They made our narrow street narrower. They cut it down along the sides and replaced it with fresh clean dirt. Then they planted flowers. They decided we did not need cars or speeding motorcycles on our street anymore.  We all worked together.  We put up a bamboo fence.  As I write this someone is planting flowers.
The Haseko Co. were on our street today with their cameras, gathering evidence, no doubt, of our crimes against progress.
We all have our own idea of what is progress. 

March 28, 2002A new chapter begins. Haseko is moving out.  Haseko came here and made terrible noise and dust and destruction. Then they built a tall, ugly building. You would be surprised to hear how little they paid people to not fight them.  How much is your sunshine worth?  How much money would you accept to live in shadows for the rest of your life? - For you children, for your grandchildren to live in shadows? 
 And we neighbors were powerless to stop them. They had no heart.  But they had technique.  They knew how to break up a neighborhood.  Now Haesko and Sogo Jisho will run away.  They will take their money and run away.  Haseko has was like a skin disease. They will not be missed
 New tenants are moving in. here. I wonder, will these new people be neighbors? Or will they just be more apartment building ghosts?  Will anyone bring me soba?

April 28, 2002 Golden Week is here.  It is my anniversary.  13 years ago I arrived at Narita Airport and was delivered to a little Gaijin house on the edge of town  To celebrate this anniversary I will take down my protest board.  It was the first in this neighborhood to protest the Haseko Sogo-Gisho plan.  Their plan came true.  Their building is now built.  Our sky is degraded.  And new people are living inside.  Never once did they shift from their plan.  They took this neighborhood apart with skill.  It was not the first time for them.  I do not know if they learned anything new.  My neighbors learned a lot.  Some are not ready to forgive.  I am certainly not ready to forget.  But I will take down my sign.  And I will welcome my new neighbors.   No one brought me soba. But summer is almost here. Maybe we can all drink a beer in the street.

July 5, 2002 Still no soba. Yesterday Haseko offered me money.  It is funny.  They only care about money.  They think money can excuse immoral behavior.  But they are also selfish.  So they offered small money, about 1000 dollars.  It is good money for beer, but it is not very much to pay for destroying a community.  If I give them 1000 dollars will they take down their ugly building? Will they ruturn the sky?  Will they return the sun they stole from my neighbors gardens? I do not want to fight with my new neighbors.  But Haseko is too bad.  This new insult reminded me of all the times they lied and tricked us.  Now they think a little money makes it OK.  It is not OK.  I do not forgive them. 

I put my protest sign in front of my house again.