Dr.Teruo Higa’s
Living A Dream

#41 EM Forum 2010

Due to scheduling issues at the conference hall, the Forum was held over a month earlier than usual, on October 16 and 17. On the 16^th presentations on case studies were given at the National Theater Okinawa, while on the 17^th there were optional visits to EM® related sites. This year’s theme was “From the Use of EM® in Society at Large to the Use of EM® in Daily Life.” As is well known, the EM® movement has seen as its mission the “socialization” of EM®, i.e. using EM•1® to solve agricultural and environmental issues, and has spread to numerous countries, with countless local governments in Japan, too, actively promoting its use.

The foundation of the EM® movement is to create a society with a high level of happiness through helping people live long, healthy lives and contribute to society. At present, Japan annually spends 35 trillion yen on medical care, almost the same amount as the total tax revenue of 37 trillion yen. In essence, the majority of daily expenses go for medical care, we have gone into debt to make up the difference, and with no hope of increased income there is little prospect of being able to repay this debt.

This leads to two choices only: greatly increasing taxes or not paying off the debt. Fortunately, Japan’s national debt of 862 trillion yen has all been obtained domestically; since the country has no debt owed to other countries, even if it reneges on its debt this will not cause problems for other countries, as we have seen in the case of Greece. Seen from the perspective of countries that owe massive amounts of money to other nations and are struggling to repay, Japan might appear to be in an enviable position, but with the per capita debt in Japan over 7 million yen and approaching 8 million, we need to return to the starting point and consider how this debt came about in the first place.

This ruinous structure began with elections, which distort democracy. Politicians make all sorts of overly rosy promises they know they can never keep, and put the country in debt to maintain their public image. At the same time, they push the public to abandon any sense of initiative and responsibility, and create an overly dependent governance structure in which the national and local governments try to do everything for the citizens. This has become the DNA of Japanese society.

Further, in order to deal with claims by citizens, the government creates all sorts of regulations that restrict people, and one takes it for granted that they have to get permission from local government for everything, even issues that could be resolved by using common sense. In Fukushima Prefecture, for instance, local volunteers have proposed to form a volunteer movement to help clean the water and preserve the environment, but they have been refused permission to do so. EM® has won every court case it’s been involved in, and is a microbial material for which there are no legal restrictions anywhere in the world; it is something citizens everywhere should be able to use freely in volunteer activities or on their own. Even with something as good as this, local administrations refuse permission to use it because they have a set attitude of wanting to avoid taking responsibility.

At the same time, this system of elections that distort democracy creates a societal trend toward finger pointing, with mostly pointless debates endlessly raging not only in the Diet but throughout Japan; from company meetings to university faculty meetings people are prone to avoid personal responsibility and try to pin blame on others, resulting in wasteful use of the bloated public budget. Simultaneously, local governments have become even more enamored of “studying issues” without ever taking responsibility for them.

Various regulations are necessary to maintain organizations and keep them stable, but it goes without saying that in order to activate and develop the power of the citizens, the most effective strategy is to reduce regulations to as close to zero as possible. When we consider how little difference there is between the policies of the political party in power and the opposition parties, the most democratic approach to elections, one that would most reduce the influence of vested interests, would be to choose, by lot, among the candidates who have a certain level of support.

Japan has the highest number of regulations among developed countries, and is steadily falling behind countries such as Korea, which has abolished many regulations. Looking at Japanese domestic laws, those that include the most regulations and restrictions are the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and the Medical Practitioners Act. If one were, for instance, to state that eating carrots is good for one’s health, one could be legally liable under these two laws. Because of this, we have a situation where Japanese citizens are forced to abdicate responsibility for their own illnesses and health.

With the discovery, in the late 20^th century, of serious “lifestyle-related diseases,” it has become evident that most diseases result from the types of lifestyles people live, and that people are thus directly responsible for them. In order for people to take responsibility for their own health, it is necessary to allow them to act freely, with the exception of areas under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and the Medical Practitioners Act that deal with life-and-death situations.

This debate could go on forever, but the point is to thoroughly recognize that the huge public debt in Japan begins with elections that distort democracy, which has led to finger pointing, which in turn has led to a heavily regulated society and an abandonment of personal responsibility on the part of Japan’s citizens.

These problems can be solved if, using the fundamental value of the EM® movement—the notion that one must “take personal responsibility and contribute to society”—as a base, EM Technology® is used is every aspect of life, as freely as water and the air; the tremendous power of Effective Microorganisms® will make most diseases naturally disappear, and will resolve the majority of societal problems. From this perspective, this year’s Forum, and the case studies presented there, returned to the starting point for EM®, its use in daily life.
 
Preventive Medicine and the EM® Lifestyle
The keynote address at the Forum was given by Dr. Ichiro Sugimoto (Chair of the Board of the Shokokai Medical Corporation), and was entitled “Preventive Medicine and the EM® Lifestyle.” Dr. Sugimoto touched on basic problems with influenza vaccine, the incorrect standards of present day medicine when it comes to lipid nutrition, the problems caused by overtreatment, such as the excessive use of antibiotics and medicines, exposure through medical treatment, day-to-day exposure to electromagnetic waves from hybrid and electric cars, and how overtreatment has actually increased the incidence of disease. He emphasized that “prevention is the ultimate form of medical science in which there are no side effects,” and he mentioned Cuba as a good example of this.

Because of the continued US embargo and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba found itself with a serious shortage of chemical fertilizers, agrochemicals and medicine, and has instituted self-sufficiency organic farming and a system of preventive medicine. As a result, it has lowered the costs of medical treatment to levels unheard of in advanced countries, with average life expectancy equal to that in these countries.

The point is, if stress in society is alleviated and sanitation and nutrition are improved, it is possible for people to live out their natural life spans without getting sick. Free use of EM Technology® in all areas of everyday life will prevent illnesses and make it possible to realize this ultimate form of medical science.
 
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Techniques that are Safe Even to Use for Children
Following the keynote speech was a presentation on “Ultimate Eco-Friendly Cleaning Techniques,” given by Shinichiro Kodama of Elegance You Corporation. In the cleaning industry, which has been labeled one of the so-called 3D industries (those that are dirty, dangerous, and demeaning), use of synthetic chemical detergents and chemical agents leads to degradation of clothing, rough dry hands, breathing in these chemicals in steam leads to all sorts of pollution, discharged polluted water damages the environment, and there are other health issues related to the cleaned clothing. Many such problems remain.

These problems were solved using high quality Activated EM•1®, EM® ceramics, and EM® Shabondama Soap. The workplace became a healthy environment, discharged water helped clean water in the environment, with the added positive effects of preventing damage to clothes and making them healthy to wear; in short, he was able to put into practice a form of “ultimate cleaning” using EM Technology®. He also provided, at low cost, Activated EM•1® to his customers and instructed them on how to use EM•1® in eco-friendly home laundry, in multi-purpose use around the home, and in home gardens.
 
Natural Materials for Relaxation
The next presentation, entitled “Natural Materials for Relaxation,” was by Tomohisa Goeku of the EM® Spa Corazon in Okinawa, and discussed the use of EM Technology® in reflexology. Overuse of the materials used in reflexology, including natural salts, leads to rough, dry hands and skin, and other issues such as osmotic strength problems, exhaustion on the part of clinicians, static electricity buildups in the room and air, and electromagnetic waves. Naturally, human beings are precise, high level electric generators themselves and the free radicals that result from the metabolism of this energy are the trigger not only for aging, but for many diseases, and are the archenemy of cosmetic beauty.

When EM•X® Gold and Spacemate (EM® ceramics plates), and Activated EM•1® were used together with other materials, not only in cleaning the room but with pillows, beds, and mats, and in all areas of reflexology practice, great results were seen, and Mr. Goeku showed us methods of using it in the home as well. At the same time, the same healthful results with clinicians were seen that Mr. Kodama mentioned earlier.
 
A Pleasant Space to Live with Pets
The next presentation, a case study of the use of EM Technology® with pets, was entitled “A Pleasant Space to Live with Pets,” and was given by Koichi Akatsu of TAURUS, Inc. The number of pets has increased dramatically, to the point where they are almost outnumbering children. The main difficulties in having pets are sanitation issues, including foul odors, and issues related to the pets’ health. Using EM Technology®, Mr. Akatsu has solved all these problems, and is developing many types of related products.

EM Technology® has many positive healing and stress-reducing effects on pets, as well as effects on their sensory development, and can have a latent preventive effect on many social issues such as the symbiotic education between humans and animals. Naturally, if owners use EM® items with pets, they themselves will become more aware of the EM® lifestyle, and there will be myriad added benefits.
 
Having a Vibrant Home Garden Starting Today
The next presentation, entitled “Having a Vibrant Home Garden Starting Today,” was given by Yasuo Oda, head of the Chubu regional extension of the International Nature Farming Research Center. Mr. Oda is an EM® expert who established the applications for EM® Bokashi. He himself is like EM®, and is an experienced veteran in the application of EM Technology® in Nature Farming. This day’s presentation, the result of Mr. Oda’s vast experience and spirit of inquiry, revealed ultimate home garden methods; in particular he showed how the method of growing burdock in long bags can also be applied to root vegetables such as Chinese yams and daikon radishes. Those who heard his presentation were quite pleasantly surprised by these new methods.

Mr. Oda also discussed the additional effects of using EM Technology® in home gardens, not just to the health of gardeners, but the lively sense of unity it brings about in people and a kind of “underlying neighborhood strength” that can solve all sorts of problems.
 
Construction that Considers Health and the Environment
The final presentation, “Construction that Considers Health and the Environment,” was given by Yasunori Kadoguchi of Atelier Kadoguchi, Ltd. Mr. Kadoguchi described the process of taking a large abandoned hotel and, using EM Technology®, renovating it into the EM® Wellness Center & Hotel Costa Vista. I have discussed the Hotel Costa Vista many times in this series, so I will not go into more detail again here. Suffice it to say that from the standpoint of a professional architect such as Mr. Kadoguchi, EM Technology® makes it possible to put into actual practice an ideal vision of what architecture should be, where houses last a long time, where living in them contributes to one’s good health, where all sorts of energy savings are possible, and where the building’s presence itself is a scenic feature and a positive factor in the environment. All of the information presented at the this year’s Forum is at a level of craftsmanship that can be applied right away.
Other events that took place in October included the EM® Festa in Shikoku and the COP10 in Nagoya. I will report on these next time.


The National Theater Okinawa, site of this year’s Forum

The keynote address speaker, Dr. Ichiro Sugimoto

The audience, enthralled by the presentations

Dr. Higa delivering the final summary speech at the Forum

The hall was filled with participants from many different fields