Yoshio Kataoka was there.

On Sunday, March 8th, at the Books & Cafe "PASSAGE bis!" in Kanda Jimbocho, Tokyo, I held a publication party for the magazine I edited, produced, and published, "KurakushoN" - Yoshio Kataoka and Our Summer.

About 30 people attended, including the "readers" who supported the crowdfunding to publish this book, and those involved in its production (writers, photographers, advertisers, etc.).

As guests for the event, we invited Reiko Miyoshi and Hideki Kashiwa, both of whom have deep ties to Kataoka-san, and held a talk show with the two of them.

The participants all came alone, but everyone was connected by their "feelings for Yoshio Kataoka." At first, they started talking in bits and pieces, but as the meeting progressed, the circle of conversation expanded endlessly.

During the greetings, the words Reiko Miyoshi said left an impression on me.

"I'm always bare-faced. I don't wear makeup even for magazine shoots. But just for today, I came wearing makeup. It's really rare. Hahaha."

When I heard that, I suddenly thought,
"Oh, Reiko-san came to meet Kataoka-san."

That said, it's not like Kataoka-san was going to come to this venue.
It was, after all, a gathering for fans by fans who love Kataoka-san.

However, I felt, perhaps presumptuously, that Reiko-san had come wearing makeup she doesn't usually wear, for Kataoka-san's sake.

At the end of the meeting, during the commemorative photo of all the participants, I said, "Okay everyone, please shout 'Kataoka Yoshio!' on the count of three."

At that moment, Yoshio Kataoka was definitely in the same space as us.
Everyone felt that way.

Finally, about a very surprising gift I received that day.

The author Takakazu Horiuchi, who should be called Kataoka-san's "beloved disciple," came to the meeting.
When the meeting ended, as he was leaving, Horiuchi-san gave me a fountain pen, saying, "By the way, I thought I'd give this to you, Kasai-san."

It was a "22," a fountain pen sold by Montblanc in the 1960s.
It is a vintage fountain pen, slim and compact, with a black body and gold trim.

"Kataoka-san gave this to me as a memento when I published my first novel. He gave me three, and if you'd like, I'd like you to have one."

I was so surprised and so happy that I was at a loss for words.
"Oh, oh, really, are you sure..."

I truly couldn't believe that I would be the one to receive the fountain pen that Kataoka-san had gifted to Horiuchi-san.

This Montblanc fountain pen is my "treasure for life."
It's a well-worn phrase, but it has truly and genuinely become my "treasure."

Horiuchi-san, Reiko-san, Kashiwa-san, and everyone who gathered for this meeting, thank you very much. I am grateful to everyone involved in the publication of this "KurakushoN" and to everyone who read the book.

And I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Yoshio Kataoka, who became a great guidepost in our lives and connected our thoughts.

"KurakushoN" vol. 2 Yoshio Kataoka and Our Summer. can be purchased at Fujisan Magazine Service.