After reading the article "Kids book on moms plastic surgery," in the May 3 issue of the Weekly, I was shocked. This book helps mothers who have plastic surgery explain the procedure they are going through to their children. I wonder if mothers really need to have plastic surgery. Of course it is always good to have better looks, but going on a diet or caring about our skin or teeth on a daily basis would be better ways of dealing with any dissatisfaction we might have with our appearance.

Before resorting to such drastic means, they should make an effort. If a person wants to have less wrinkles, they should take better care of their skin on a daily basis, and if they want to enlarge their breasts, forget about it and think about the advantages of having smaller breasts.

The only thing this book will do is indoctrinate the young to prepare them as future customers.

I disgree with the recently released book explaining to children the process of plastic surgery for two reasons.

First, children who read the book will consider plastic surgery a common and attractive option. They will also be far less likely to pay attention to the risks of such operations. Second, true beauty has two faces: One is physical and the other has more to do with personality. Some moms only seek physical beauty, ignoring the way they make those around them feel. As a result, they are far from perfect. In fact, it is more important to maintain inner beauty, so mothers should put their efforts into gaining this.

The article in the April 26 issue about Australia's "first-of-a-kind summit," which gave some of the country's citizens the oppurtunity to make suggestions on how the government could improve, was most interesting. I thought that if Japan was to try out this experiment many interesting ideas would probably result that could benefit the nation. The idea sounds uplifting and worth trying.

Have you ever been to Asuke (Village), now part of Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture?

On a recent visit to Australia the biggest attraction was the 8.5 percent interest rate for those deposit between AU$10,000 and AU$20,000 for a period. For pensioners, the interest rate should be high as before. Years ago when our fellow seniors retired, they deposited half of their retirement money at the bank for a long-term deposit and they have enjoyed a good life. When I retired, the rate went under 1 percent a year, and the former BOJ governor said that the lower bank rates deprived the savers of ¥30 trillion. It is as if we are back in World War II, when the Imperial Army took our brothers', fathers' and even grandfathers' lives in an attempt to make Japan the No. 1 country in the world.

I was very disturbed to read the April 26 front page article "Unfathomable crime leaves Austria horrified." I did not think the article was suitable for Page 1. Please try to print more positive news on the front page.

The Japan Times Weekly: May 17, 2008
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