Lunch time: 10.30 am – 2 pm. Dinner time: 5.15 pm – 8 pm. Every meal, a different menu. Every time, a feast — and the special pleasure of knowing exactly where this food comes from, for having helped to make it happen: yesterday, the delicious winter onions on the table were the ones we […]

My teammate in the Vegetables section (ベジタ部 — is this a pun?), Miyazaki Takaumi-san 宮崎高海 and his children, Kokoro 心 (“Heart”) and Taiyou 太陽 (“Sun”). Wholehearted kindness.

“Please do not go to have dinner in the old people’s dining room”; “You do know how to tell the men’s bathroom entrance from the women’s, don’t you?” I can’t help but wonder what silly mistakes I will make in my turn, which will give rise to more sound advice of this kind for the […]

This is my review of the special tokkoh seminar. Each of us were asked to write one at the end. I knew they would read it. I didn’t think they would like it so much as to translate it (with record speed), and put it on display in the common room of Kasugayama Jikkenchi… (now […]

“Oh, by the way, please leave your wallet here with us. You can put it into this envelope, we’ll keep it here with us for more safety — as you know, your room has no lock. You will get it back when you leave. In any case, as you know, you won’t be needing any […]

April 29 – May 5, 2016: 1944th Special Course in Kensan Meeting – Yamagishi Association “Hello, and welcome. You will be involved in this special tokkoh course for a full 24 hours every day, for seven days; you will work, live and sleep in this building and its immediate premises. We ask of you that […]