This transition is a major theme of his book, Iraq no chushin de, baka to sakebu (Screaming 'Idiot!' in the Middle of Iraq), written while covering the invasion in March-April 2003, from the first salvo of "shock and awe" to the fall of the statue of Saddam Hussein. The humanist who wrote of ground-level perspectives of conflict was now devoting himself to more direct humanitarian causes. Glass had flown into his eye during the fighting. Hashida was scheduled to speak at the university in central Japan where I teach on June 7 to raise money for a 10-year-old Fallujah boy's surgery. Returning from the Japan Self-Defense Force base in Samawah, his car was attacked south of Baghdad he perished, along with his nephew Ogawa Kotaro, who aspired to follow his uncle's profession, and their Iraqi translator on May 28. He survived this, but not the "post-war" aftermath. Arriving in the city before the United States forces, filing reports before the majors sent their own correspondents. Cambodia (briefly a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge), Burma, then Bosnia, Palestine, and Afghanistan - and yet he remained at least outwardly remarkably disembittered. His combat journalism came from worlds of trouble - Hanoi in the wake of the B-52s. The opening quote is revealing of his personality: Irreverent towards leadership, determined, brave, realistic, humorous, curious, down to earth. His lanky arms gesticulate widely, instructing the camera where to shoot, appearing more the tour guide on summer excursion than adventurer and journalist. Hashida's long frame with his floppy sun hat and picket-fence smiling visage is surrounded by waist-high youngsters outside Fallujah. Koizumi in his wavy lionesque 'do', and me bald as an elephant, our thinking as opposite as our hairstyles." - Hashida Shinsuke (1942-2004), from his diary, Screaming 'Idiot' in the Middle of Iraq. The difference is that our friend will proceed if it is safe and will not if there is danger, whilst I take the opposite position. I, being over 60 myself, am at the same crossroads in a way. Our man Prime Minister Koizumi, just celebrating his 60th, states that decisions should be 'based on the situation, whether it is 'safe' or 'unsafe'.
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