Progress On a Different Front

I have been chronicling our issues with the documents and ephemera that we recently got from my husband's late mother. Even though she died ten years ago, no one in Hawaii took any action to clear out and/or preserve anything from her house, leaving it to the elements in Hawaii.

Anyway, the calligraphy panels, the last shipment from Hawaii, have been translated and identified. All of them are from early 20th century political figures in Japan. Obviously at the time, Japan was stretching its militaristic power which is one reason we have had so much trouble finding a home for this stuff. But frankly, even if this is the Pacific theater equivalent of Hitler's diaries or Goehring's memoir, a true historian would still find original documents or ephemera interesting. We certainly aren't looking for money, having just spent a pile of money to send these calligraphy panels to a restorer in Tokyo.

Panel number one is written by Goto Shinpei (you can look all these guys up on Wikipedia):

"A great distance does not distract from the feeling (relationship) of endearment; feeling as though a dear one far away were living in one's close neighborhood."

Panel number two is written by Saito Makoto:

"Without the trust of the people, nothing is possible even if you have money or power. With the trust of the people, anything can be possible."

Panel number three is written by Tokugawa Iesato :

"Arrogance will bring you loss (on the other hand), Modesty will bring benefit. This is how a leader should be."

Even though we have no idea what we will do or can do with these panels, they are worth preserving even if it is only for their artistic presence.

The panels are now in Tokyo being evaluated for repair. Two are in reasonable shape and one is very fragile (Goto Shinpei)  although its fragility has exposed an accounting sheet behind it, a palimpsest, which is equally fascinating.

If anyone out there has a home for these goods, please let us know. We want them to go to a good home and we have already taken steps to preserve them.

Please pay attention to the language of these panels. Though Japan was very belligerent and militaristic, these panels still reflect the hopes that reasonable people have in the 21st century.