Don't forget what you love

What is it that you love to do? I love historical novels. I am moved to tears by humanistic stories and thrilled by swordsman stories. When I was a child, I lived on a small island in the Seto Inland Sea. Every day, we would play Chanbara - simulated stick sword fights. I would chase and also be chased. I suppose they were the original sights that I continue to be moved by, even now. Before going to bed, I always turn to the pages of historical novels.

At that same time in my life, I was also crazy about collecting insects. The island was truly a habitat for a large variety of insects. For example, there were "Bear Cicadas” (Kumazemi in Japanese). They make an annoying screeching sound. We would catch them and compete among kids, saying, "See, this one is bigger than the other one”. I found out later that the Kumazemi is one of the largest cicadas in Japan.

I have a habit of taking notes and collecting good words when I come across them. They often appear in my lectures and writings. In fact, I found the same pleasure in collecting words that I found in collecting insects on the island in the Seto Inland Sea. I can say that they are essentially the same act for me in their both being something that I truly enjoy.

When I visited Kochi prefecture on a business trip, I stopped by a garden called Makino Botanical Garden. It is named after Tomitaro Makino, the world renowned father of botany for Japan. As I walked around the garden, I was impressed by how happy he was to have lived his life. Until just before his death at the age of 94, he traveled all over Japan collecting plants. The phrase that appears repeatedly in his autobiography is, "I love, love, love grass and trees."

When we are doing what we love, we forget about time and we never tire. We get filled with energy for tomorrow. However, strangely enough, we tend to forget what we love before we know it. Let's make sure to always remember. In the year of 2021, let's make sure to always remember what we love so that we can continue to walk cheerfully through the burdens and difficulties that may arise in this year.