Shakai no Mado 社会の窓

I learned the following idiom from a television program.

Shakai no mado. 社会の窓.
Translated directly, it would be "The window(s) of society".

However, in modern context, the idiom is actually referring to the fly of a men's jeans, pants, or any other garments. The idiom originated from the title of a NHK radio show in the Showa period, which often exposed unknown secrets of society to listeners.

So male readers, the next time when you hear someone say to you "社会の窓が開いている" (your window of society is open), look downwards and try to close it discreetly. ^^

震災が教えてくれたこと。 Lessons to be Learned from the Earthquake Disaster.

大地震から２ヵ月経ちました。信じられないほど悲しい出来事でしたが、同時に私には忘れていた何かに気づく機会でもありました。

それはまわりにいる人の優しさです。地震の直後「家族の安否は確認できましたか」と日本からメールをくれた森谷先生。（実は森谷先生の家も少し壊れたそうです。）
「家族は大丈夫」とメールやSMSをくれた学生の皆さん。そして、募金に協力してくださって方々…。私はそれまで毎日忙しくて、仕事のことか見えなくなっていたんですね。自分が優しい人たちに囲まれていることを改めて感じました。

被災地や傷ついた人の心がもとに戻るには、とても長い時間がかかりますが、前より元気な街になって甦ると信じています。私も自分にできることを見つけて力を貸したいと思っています。

そして、いつか皆さんと立ち直った東北を旅ができたらしいいですね。

2 months have passed since the Touhoku Earthquake disaster. While it had been a tragic event unfathomable to many, at the same time, it also provided an opportunity for us to rediscover what we may have forgotten.

A case in point: the kindness from people all around us. Moriya-sensei sent an email from Japan right after the earthquake happened, asking us if our families were alright.
(Actually, on the other hand, I think Moriya-sensei's home was slighty damaged.)
"Students have sent me mails and messages asking "Is your family alright?" And also, those people who have helped in raising funds for the cause.. Since then, I've been rather busy everyday, at times even losing focus. Once again, I have experienced the fact that I'm surrounded by many kind and helpful people."

Much time will be needed to repair the emotional wounds of victims and of those affected in other ways, but I believe that the streets will be restored to become even livelier than ever before.

I will also try to do my best in finding strength and lending a land to those people in need.

And I'm sure that everyone wishes to travel to Touhoku again once it has been restored, right?

-土屋先生 (Tsuchiya-sensei)