bamboo

Amazing

superbe !

These postmen were called hikyaku (飛脚 or literally "flying legs") in Japanese. It is said that they ran the Tokyo Osaka route in 6 days or 90km a day, and in 4 and a halft days when carrying especially urgent mail or 120Km a day. It is also said that they ran in a special way to conserve energy but the wikipedia site says that it is not clear what this special way is though it is rumoured to be the "Nanba Running/Walking" form in which runners and walkers swing their right hand forward at the same time as their right leg, and vice versa, rather than in time with the opposite leg. There appears to be photographic proof of this theory here. And indeed the position of the postman pictured above is consistent with this theory. There is a saying in Japanese "Satsuma's Postman," which refers to the Satsuma (current day Kumamoto prefecture) region of Japan and postmen that arrived there were proverbially at least killed, or not allowed to return to whence they came, since the region was planning a revolution (with the Choushu region, current day Yamaguchi Prefecture) and did not wish its secret preparations to become known. So a "Satsuma's Postman" means someone who does not return. A famous Japanese Fedex like company has a "Hikyaku" postal service which uses its trucks combined with the Japanese postal service' post workers. The company sorts and transports, the postal workers deliver, and they claim faster times than leaving the whole delivery to the postal workers. I wonder the reason for the pole. The only mention I can see of the pole on the Japanese wikipedia page is the tradition of "Town postmen" to trail a small bell from their pole" so that people would hear them coming (and presumably deposit letters with them). But this man has no bell. Could the pole be a precursor of the mask, to prevent infectious disease (which was rife in Japanese cities)?

I live in the south and there are still a lot of people that like to sit on a pond or lake all day. Its a form on relaxation and a cheap way to de-stress even if you don't catch one fish.

"Negroes" ? Somebody needs to sort that madness out.

"Somebody" needs to stop huffing the Political Correctness gas. It has that title because that is what the photograph was titled at the TIME. It is a dishonor to all those who fought and died for civil rights to erase the unpleasant TRUTH of the past. If you hide the past that is today considered disagreeable in time people will forget all the hard work to move forward. There will be back sliding and repetition of mistakes. And then everything gained is imperiled. You already see it in urban culture. Would MLK allow for the "musicians" (I put it in quotes 'cause many of them are far more interested in begging for attention than creating art) that use the various N-words to refer to each other? Never. These people grew up with most of the battles won. They've forgotten and/or compartmentalized their past and have no problem disrespecting and hurting their communities. Political correctness is best, like all things, in moderation.

Thank you, HugeRedBear!

MLK said "negroes" a thousand times.

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called British Army, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

The poor man in the first bed looks a though holding a parasol is the last thing he should be doing :-(

You'll notice too that each man is tucked neatly away under his sheet and blankets, which are all precisely folded and tucked under the mattress. Not a wrinkle or an uneven edge to be seen anywhere! Precise nursing technique to be sure! I wonder if they were carried outside and back in again while still lying in their beds? Looking closer at the patient in the last bed, farthest from the camera, he seems to have his covers draped across some sort of "tenting" device or blanket cradle, to keep the covers from putting undue pressure on his legs. Could be to keep the blankets and sheet from resting directly on a painful wound, a burn, or even a lost leg.