Encounters (Spring Baton)

I am honored to serve as the 16th runner for the Spring Baton.
I am "agent matsukura"!

I work in real estate brokerage,
and I share insights and lessons I've gained
through my daily work and the growth of my children, connecting them to everyday life.

I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to participate
in this wonderful project by Saka.-sensei.

I feel truly joyful to be able to connect with so many people
in the form of this "relay."

I received the baton from the 15th runner, "Kazu-san."
Please be sure to check out Kazu-san's article as well!

I deeply felt that "life really comes down to who you meet."
Encounters that seem like mere coincidences
are actually incredibly inevitable.

There are times when a chance encounter with someone
completely changes your values or the path you take, aren't there?
It made me rethink the power of such "connections."

And I couldn't help but nod at the topic of agriculture mentioned in the text.
My parents' home is also involved in farming, and with the recent rise in rice prices,
I am reminded once again of the importance and gratitude I feel for farmers.
I should be more grateful for the fact that things grown with time and effort
by someone touching the soil every day end up on our dining tables.

Encounters and agriculture are both very similar in that
"someone is carefully weaving them together behind the scenes."
It feels very similar.
It is in the casual daily life that the seeds that move life exist.
It was a heartwarming piece that gave me such an insight.

Saka.-sensei, thank you for this wonderful project!
Now, I will pass the baton to the next runner, the 17th, "Yoshimaru-san"!

#ConnectingTheSpringNoteBaton

Lastly, just a brief introduction to my article.
I am writing just a little bit about my impressions of a book I read recently.

Today, I would like to introduce that book.

The reason I picked up this book was because it was introduced on King Kong's YouTube channel.
"Dokoku no Kan" (Crown of Wailing) (Author: Kazunobu Kubota) — knowing it depicted the half-life of Toro Salmon's Kubota, I immediately clicked to purchase it. And I read it all at once.

To conclude, it is incredibly easy to read. The tempo is good, and before I knew it, the pages were turning quickly. The ups and downs of Kubota's life are written candidly, and the human conflicts, anger, and regrets are conveyed realistically. But it's not just heavy. I felt a positive power in the way he turns those emotions into energy to move forward.

What was particularly impressive was his stance of "continuing to challenge without giving up." As a comedian, and as a human being, he doesn't stop even while hitting various difficulties. I felt like my back was pushed by that attitude.

Just now, Kubota is being falsely accused of unreasonable things, and there are fewer opportunities to see him on TV. But that is exactly why I feel there is meaning in reading this book. His life itself links to this timing and resonated more deeply in my heart.

The writing is also straightforward and unadorned. It's as if he is talking to me right next to me, and it enters my heart smoothly.

What I felt after reading this book is that "life is only once. That's why you shouldn't stop challenging." Even if things don't go well, stand up again and again and move forward. I naturally received courage from that attitude.

"Dokoku no Kan" is a book that is easy to read, has a good tempo, but still moves your heart properly. It is a work that I definitely want people who want to touch Kubota's way of life and those who want to charge positive energy to read.