2026/1/10 (Sat.)*SMC*

Lecture: SM Yoko Narisawa

 < Definition Game Questions >

 Fill in the blank with a suitable word to match the definition.

1. Something that you really want to do or have.

 I have a strong ( d      ) to travel the world.

2. A chance to do something.

 Studying abroad is a great ( o       ) to learn about different cultures.

3. A person who knows a lot about a topic.

 She is an ( e     ) in modern art.

4. A very big problem or difficult situation.

 Losing my job was a major ( c     ).

5. A goal or reason for doing something.

 Our main ( p     ) is to help children learn safely.

6. A strong feeling of worry or fear.

 Speaking in front of many people can cause ( a      ).

7. A way of looking at or thinking about something.

 From her ( p    of view / p        ), the plan is too expensive.

8. To say what will happen in the future.

 Scientists can ( p      ) earthquakes more accurately now.

9. To make something easier to understand.

 Could you please ( e      ) that sentence for me?

10. The ability to continue trying even when things are hard.

 Success comes from patience and ( p        ).

11. Something you must do because it is necessary.

 It’s my ( r       ) to take care of my parents.

12. A useful thing that helps you do something more easily.

 A dictionary is an important ( t     ) for language learners.

13. A dangerous event that needs quick action.

 Call 119 in an ( e        ).

14. Something that you are working toward achieving.

 My ( g     ) is to pass the English exam next year.

15. A group of people working together for a common purpose.

 Our ( t     ) finished the project early.

16. A system for sending messages or information.

 Smartphones make ( c       ) much faster.

17. A result or effect of something that happens.

 Bad weather was the ( c      ) of the flight delay.

18. To stop something from happening.

 Wearing a mask can help ( p     ) illness.

19. Information that supports an idea or shows something is true.

 The police found ( e     ) at the scene.

20. A person you can trust and rely on.

 She is a very ( r      ) friend.

21. To keep something the same; not let it change.

 It’s important to ( m     ) good health.

22. Something that you learn through experience or study.

 Traveling abroad gives you a lot of ( k      ).

23. Present or appearing everywhere at once; very common.

 Smartphones have become ( u      ) in modern life.

24. A brief and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

 She told an ( a      ) about her childhood that made everyone laugh.

25. Having mixed or contradictory feelings about something or someone.

 He felt ( a       ) about accepting the job abroad.

< Answers >

 1. desire  2. opportunity  3. expert  4. crisis  5. purpose 

 6. anxiety  7. point / perspective  8. predict  9. explain 

 10. perseverance  11. responsibility  12. tool  13. emergency

 14. goal  15. team  16. communication  17. cause  18. prevent

 19. evidence  20. reliable  21. maintain  22. knowledge

 23. ubiquitous  24. anecdote  25. ambivalent

Table Topic Speech

(1) When do you feel most like yourself?

(2) Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

(3) If someone could tell you the exact day and time you are going to die, would you want them to tell you ?

(4) If you could take a single photograph of your life, what would it look like?

(5) What's the best decision you've ever made?

(6) What do you know well enough to teach to others?

(7) What do you think is worth waiting for?

(8) What is your favorite place on Earth?

Prepared Speech

(1) The Advent of the Past: SM Koizumi

At our SMC meeting in person last November, we talked about the songs “Chiekosho” and “Ai to Shi wo Mitsumete.”  They brought back memories I hadn’t thought about for a long time, and somehow those memories are becoming clearer as time goes by. Today, I’d like to share the stories behind these works from the Showa era.

 About Chiekosho

Chiekosho is a collection of poems written by the poet Kotaro Takamura, published in 1941 by Ryuseikaku(龍星閣).  It brings together works he wrote over a period of thirty years—from the time he met his wife Chieko until her death.

Takamura was born in 1883 and passed away in 1956.  He was one of Japan’s representative cultural figures: a poet, sculptor, and painter.  Interestingly, his legal name was also written “光太郎,” but it was read Mitsutaro, not Kotaro.

              The “Chieko” in Chiekosho is, of course, his wife Chieko Takamura.  The book contains 29 poems, 6 tanka, and 3 prose pieces about her—works he wrote continuously from before their marriage in 1912 up to her death in 1941.  I find it incredibly beautiful that he made his wife the subject of his literature not only before their marriage, but even after her passing.  Thinking about it again now, it truly warms my heart.

 The Song from Chiekosho

        Tokyo’s sky, a gray sky I don’t like. I want to see the true sky, she always say to me

    That sulking yet sweet Chieko, echoing her voice to my ear

Ah, I can still hear it today in the mountains of Adatara.

 About Ai to Shi wo Mitsumete

              The song “Ai to Shi wo Mitsumete” is also nostalgic.  It comes from a published collection of letters exchanged over three years between Makoto Kono(河野實)—nicknamed Mako—a university student born in 1941, and Michiko Oshima(大島みち子), known as Miko, who suffered from chondrosarcoma and passed away at age twenty-one in 1963.

              The two met in the same ward of Osaka University Hospital.  Both were eighteen, and both were enthusiastic Hanshin Tigers fans, which sparked an instant connection.  They began writing letters to each other.

    　Even after Miko entered Doshisha University in Kyoto and Mako went to Chuo University in Tokyo, their correspondence continued without interruption.  Their letters became a great source of strength for Miko as she fought her illness.  Their bond deepened through phone calls and visits.

              But Miko eventually lost half of her face in surgery, and her condition worsened.  Then, on the day before Mako’s twenty-second birthday, she marked her own “memorial day” and quietly left this world.

 Lyrics from Ai to Shi wo Mitsumete

         Mako… I am sorry for always depending on you

Miko has been so very happy with you

On the day I learned how fleeting my life is

When I cried hard saying swearing words to you

You tenderly hugged me wiped away my tears… Mako.

 Thanks for listening.  I hope these stories from the Showa era remind you, as they reminded me, of how powerful love, memory, and devotion can be.

(2) Bears: SM Kei Narisawa

What kind of images do you have of bears? Are they cute, like Kumamon, the mascot bear of Kumamoto Prefecture, or are they intimidating? In real life, they are certainly scary.

As far back as 30 years ago, our neighbors and we took a trip to Yatsugatake and stayed at a hotel. Their child and ours wandered around the neighborhood and later claimed that they had seen a bear. According to them, the bear was about ten meters away, across the river. They later reported the encounter to us. We were skeptical all along, but 30 years later I asked my son how true the story was. He assured me they had been honest. I had no choice but to believe him.

I have been living in Aikawa Town for so many years that I don’t care to remember. During what feels like an eternity, I have heard news several times about bears appearing in town. The first report was about a bear that broke into a grocery store and went on a rampage inside. The second was about a bear seen walking around Hanbara, which could be considered a place where bears are most likely to live.

Come to think of it, Hanbara really is a dangerous place. Some years ago, my daughter’s pet dog, Koume, and I were taking a walk along Hambaragoe, a narrow mountain path, when I saw a sign that read, “Beware of bears. Do not leave the path, or you may be caught in a bear trap.” I found myself shivering with fear. My imagination ran wild, and I even thought that if I came across a bear, I would throw my daughter’s dog at it and run for dear life.

I have talked about bears in rural areas, but urban areas are not immune either. Recently, I heard news about a bear appearing at a subway station in Sapporo. If only there were enough acorns in the mountains for bears to eat. I hope a temperate summer climate will bear fruit—literally and figuratively—in the years to come.

Thank you for bearing with my discursive speech.

(3) A small misunderstanding: SM Ishimura

Today, I’d like to share a funny story about a simple misunderstanding that led to a surprising connection.

About forty years ago, my wife Haruko and I lived in a town called Shin‑Yurigaoka in Kawasaki.

Our next‑door neighbor was a man named Haruo Kitamura.

One day, the mailman delivered a letter to our house.

It was addressed to Mr. Kitamura, not to us.

Because my wife’s name is Haruko Ishimura, the mailman must have thought,

“Well, Haruko… Haruo… close enough!”

Of course, we quickly realized it was just a small mix‑up.

Years passed, and we moved to Matsuyama to be closer to my parents.

One afternoon, I was relaxing and watching TV when suddenly—

there he was!

Mr. Kitamura, my former neighbor, appearing on a program as a lawyer, sitting next to other famous attorneys.

I almost dropped the remote.

Later, I learned that his wife’s family is from Marugame.

Coincidentally, my second son’s wife is also from Marugame, so we often visited the city to enjoy delicious udon.

During those trips, we even met his wife’s mother.

The world was starting to feel very small.

And today, Mr. Kitamura has become a member of the National Diet and is doing impressive work.

He still appears on TV and YouTube, and whenever I see him, I feel a warm sense of nostalgia.

Life is full of unexpected connections.

A simple mistake by a mailman turned into a story I still enjoy telling today.

Encounters between people are truly mysterious.

(4) The Truth or Public Stance?: SM Eda

(5) What Makes Life Dramatic?: SM Kaneko

 Last year, Mr. Professional Baseball, Shigeo Nagashima, passed away. One of his signature phrases was “Make drama.” His life was truly dramatic, and it seems as if he is still encouraging us to make drama in our own lives. So, what makes life dramatic?

During the year-end and New Year holidays, I watched four movies that had been recommended by members of my English circle: Kokuhō, Tokyo Taxi, Eikō no Back Home, and Kaede.

After watching these movies, I noticed something they all have in common: a funeral scene or the death of a character. People die from disease, accidents, old age, or violence. These events are generally considered undesirable. However, they often play a significant role in making a movie powerful and memorable. These elements can be summed up in one word: hardship.

Other important factors include struggle, love, and peace. In other words, difficulties, effort, friendship, and calmness are all components that make movies dramatic.

Since movies are reflections of real life, these elements can also be applied to life itself. Although the word dramatic sounds attractive, I sincerely hope that our lives will not have to be too hard.

Thank you.

Supplement: In the table topic speech, I mentioned vinca. In Japan, this flower is known as nichinichisō.

(6) Box-office film, Kokuho: SM Takahata

Nowadays, we can enjoy a lot of dramas and movies on several video distribution services, like Netflix, U-next, Amazon Prime and so on. However, I would like to talk about a very popular movie which should be seen in a theater. The title is “Kokuho.” It has become more than 180 billion yen at the box office.

Since I hadn’t been going to the movie theater for a while, I wasn’t really interested even when I heard that this film was a huge hit. But a friend insisted that I absolutely should see it, so I finally dragged myself to the theater.And my impression is… I’m truly glad I saw it on the big screen. I was so moved that I emailed that friend right after the movie, saying, “Thank you for recommending it! I was really touched.”

The story centers on Kikuo, a boy born into a yakuza family who is taken in by a prestigious kabuki household. Blessed with natural beauty and talent, Kikuo grows into a brilliant onnagata performer, constantly pushing himself alongside Shunsuke, his close friend and rival, who is also the heir to that renowned family.The film depicts fifty years of Kikuo’s life as he dedicates everything to the art of kabuki　- while struggling with tradition, bloodline, love, and many other conflicts- eventually becoming a Living National Treasure.

Two points especially moved me.

The first was the astonishing kabuki performances by the actors. I’m not familiar with kabuki, but seeing actors train from scratch and fully embody kabuki performers completely drew me in.

The second was how the film’s beautiful cinematography expressed the harshness of the kabuki world - an art form that demands total devotion and constant sacrifice. The camerawork in the stage scenes was especially impressive.

As for shortcomings, probably due to time constraints, some characters felt underdeveloped. The running time is already a full three hours, yet I still found myself wanting more. Apparently, much more footage was actually filmed. I’d love to see everything - including the cut scenes - split into Part I and Part II.

So, if you have the chance, the film is still in theaters. I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen.

(7) My New Year’s Resolution: SM Noro 

It is the first SMC meeting of 2026.

So today, I would like to talk about my new year’s resolution.

As you may know, I will turn 65 this August and my contract as a company employee will come to an end. Actually, during the New Year holidays, I spent some time thinking about what I would like to do instead of working at the company.

Also, as I already mentioned in my email, my resolution for this year is sharing. I would like to share something beautiful, sharing something interesting and sharing something emotional with others - including all of you, SMC members - using English.

I also thought about how to express my New Year's resolution in a way that would be easy for everyone to visualize, and I've come up with the perfect image.

Do you know the waggle dance? The waggle dance is a special dance performed by honeybees. It is used to share information about flower nectar sources. The angle of the dance shows the direction of the nectar relative to the sun, and the length and speed of the waggle shows the distance to the flower nectar. Other bees watch the dance and fly to the exact location. I believe this is a beautiful example of communication and sharing information in nature.

This year, I would like to visit many different places this year and if I come across flowers, rich nectar, or even dangerous enemies, I will want to share that information with you at the SMC meeting – just like “a waggle dance”.

By the way, when I thought about my New Year’s resolution, I asked myself again why English matters to me. I realized that English is not only used to communicate, but also as a tool for my own my ideological reflection. My English skills are not strong enough to fully explain my ideas, but precisely because of that, there is important space for discovery, and I should try to make effort to convey my ideas to others. When I explain something in English, it might sound like a kind of poem or haiku to native speakers. This may be a new and meaningful possibility of English for me.

Meeting Schedule

In-person: 9:30 AM on Jan. 24 at Oyama Community Center (medium conference room)

(Coordinator: SM Noro)