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FreeHoshino! #02

Let's Fight Again at Tokushima Prison on February 19

To Allow Hoshino to Meet with Friends
To Maintain Hoshino's Good Health and to Protect His Right

Since we published Hoshino newspaper in January, we had many opinions and comments from readers all over Japan. We should take advantage this nice opportunity to spread our spirits.

Many New-Year Cards to Hoshino Are Suppressed
The prison suppressed many new-year-cards to Hoshino, the reason why the cards are with photos of our last demonstration at the prison.
We will demonstrate again at the prison on February 19 to appeal for improvement treatments of the prison.
First of all we request that they allow Hoshino to meet his all friends and family.
The second request is that to upgrade his class of treatment from 3 to 2.
We have to protest to unjust proceedings of Japan's prisons.
Especially the medical treatment of this prison is really dehumanizing.

Reach Out to Readers of Hoshino Newspaper
Kim Uonzyun Professor, Chiba University of Commerce

Hoshino Newspaper has published. It is issued twice a month.
We should distribute it by talking to people what article you were impressed instead of just handing it over.
Mother of Takiji Kobayashi (Author &Social Activist) and Hoshino's Mother
Takiji Kobayashi was slaughtered by police officers at Tsukiji police office in Tokyo in 1933. It was only several hours after he was brought to the police office by conspiracy. His mother Seki run into the police to meet her son.
According to a book "Mother" written by Ayako Miura , the mother said, "The body of Takiji laid on futon was awful. But I called him saying <Hey, Takiji, stand up! Stand up again for everybody! I put my cheek on his cheek. I didn't want believe he was dead, but he was dead.
The people of his party offered him compliments saying <He surely kept his secrets though he had to endure tortures to such a degree that his fingers were hanging down and a lot of halls on his legs by awls.>, but I don't want any compliment, I only wish my son alive."

Impact of Hoshino Art
Masaharu Ashino Co-representative of Free Hoshino, Akita

One day I was given Hoshino Calendar. I did not have any impression by the photos of Hoshino's painting works on the calendar though I was a little moved by the relationship between he and his wife.
Later on one volunteer called me to help holding a Hoshino art exhibition in Akita. I helped it because I thought that might be an opportunity to see his real works.
It is still vividly in my head that I was shocked by his art while I was opening packages of his art. I have never felt that much strong impression before.
To see real art works directly is important. I used to travel to see real works of European masters' like Giotto, Greco, Goya, Cezanne and others.

Thinking of Akiko
I felt that I was meeting with a human spirit during I was hanging his works on the walls in the gallery. The spirit stared at me. I was held tightly by air in front of the spirit.
I heard that all Hoshino's works were with strong spirit of love for Akiko, so all paintings were born to be appreciated by Akiko. But Hoshino's spirit also holds every people who stand in front of his works.
Hoshino's art made by millions of brushstrokes. He expressed real by his imagination as if he has been free and lived in normal life. I see his prayers he charged everything with his every stroke of brush.
Thinking of Akiko
I described Hoshino's art earnestly to reporters at the second Hoshino Art Exhibition in Akita.
Hoshino's works remind me Cimabue and Giotto, the thirteenth century's Italian artists. They were priests who painted Jesus Christ. When I was young, I traveled to Assisi in Italy to see Giotto's art. I was very glad that there were priests who wore clothes the same style with the ones of Giotto's time.

Hoshino is not a priest and Tokushima prison is not a church, but he feels real life through Akiko. I felt that Hoshino's works have similar meaning and quality with the art of Cimabue and Giotto that sought God through their expression. Those two artists ushered the Renaissance, I think that Hoshino's art can be a leader of spiritual renaissance for modern people.

Tokushima Visitation Diary

Akiko Hoshino

January 12
It was a warm day.
"Happy New Year!" We recognized each other that we were fine without a word.
"I have been drawing during my four days- new year holidays." Fumiaki began to talk. " I drew children I saw in a picture card Shino Kawamura gave me in the end of December. I have done it very well as my New Year's job ."
I asked him if he got or not New Year's cards with a photo of demonstration around the prison we printed 1040 sheets of New Year's celebration cards for supporters and all were sold out. "Not yet. May be a lot of New Years' cards are suppressed for the photo. It will probably reach me in two weeks after they blocked out some words with black ink."
I reported about Turkish labors we met at the Labors International meeting in last October. After the meeting, they put about Free Hoshino activity on their newspaper, and our story moved many Turkish people.

Jan. 13
I said, "You seem to develop high blood glucose level, don't you?" "Yes, usually within the level 110, but recently it was 230 for steroid use. I hear it causes risk of getting diabetes, and I am reducing using it little by little. I sometimes feel lightheaded and dizzy, especially in winter.
I weigh 56 or 57kg. I stay well and deepen my daily life and I can do my study intentionally."

Jan. 14
Fumiaki's art won the second prize in the art competition among Shikoku area prisoners.
The work's tittle is "Future Children Alliances All over the World". Today we conversed looking at the work named "Meeting with Myself, My First Step" which is one of his masterpieces; it was painted a girl looking in a mirror inquiringly.

His first comment in the New Year was as follows.
This year is the very year of a climactic battle for us and Japan itself. If you let it keep going on, World war will erupt because U.S. and Japan is seriously going to subvert North Korea. Japan-South Korea treatment is a strategic move. We have to stop it by international power of labors' general strike. Free Hoshino activity must be more active for that not only for my freedom.