Army of Apes

 

When I was a child, I had a favorite Japanese TV drama, Army of Apes. The main characters were human, but they traveled a world dominated by apes. I vaguely remember the beginning and end of the drama.

A few years later, I saw the American movie, Planet of the Apes, on TV. It was very similar to the TV drama. I assumed the American movie had stolen the Japanese idea because I had known the Japanese idea for a few years.

As you know, I was wrong. The truth was the complete opposite. The Japanese drama stole the idea from American movie. The movie company didn’t sue the Japanese drama company. The latter were lucky.

Dear creators, you should not steal someone else’s idea! However, I’m probably not the best person to give that piece of advice.

Once, I worked as a scriptwriter for stages and games. I confess: When I was young, I stole someone’s ideas for my work. I didn’t realize it was a crime. Those were my favorite materials. I assumed they were parts of me. I was lucky no one sued me. My works have never achieved monetary success. So perhaps I wasn’t worth enough to justify taking me to court.

Now I really care about original creation.

Dear creators, we have to look over our works carefully. Even if no one sues us, plagiarism leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

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Jogging in Germany

 

 

When I was young, I jogged almost every day.

Once, I traveled to Kiel in Germany. I jogged in the morning. When I jogged, I saw a beach. I thought that jogging on the beach might be fun. I then started jogging on the beach.

There was a rocky stretch. At that time, I was in my twenties. I assumed I could jump from rock to rock easily, but I found it very difficult. Somehow all the rocks jutted upward. I couldn’t jump from rock to rock. I couldn’t even walk on the rocks.

I climbed and went down one rock to another rock. I knew I had to retreat and find a different way, but I was a reckless young man. I believed I could accomplish it. I tried for a while. Then a man called me from the land.

The land side of the rocky stretch was surrounded by barbed wire. The man invited me to a door leading through the barbed wire. The inside was a lawn. The man led me to the opposite side of the rocky stretch. That way, I could continue my jogging on the sandy beach.

At that time, I had no idea about this incident. Now I understand that I was in a military base in Germany. Kiel was a famous naval port. The rocky stretch was not a natural scene. The rocks had been put there for defense. Of course, I couldn’t walk on the rocks. They were designed for this.

The inside of the barbed wire revealed a base. There might have been secrets. I should not have trespassed there. The man who had invited me might have been a soldier. He didn’t wear a military uniform. Officially, he should not have invited me inside.

I should not have done that. If it was a different country or a different time, I would have been in a dangerous situation. I had tried to trespass a military base. It might have been an act of suicide. It was the 1990s.

I wish for lasting peace. In a peaceful world, even if a foreign man tries to trespass a military base, a soldier invites the man inside. I pray for world peace.

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