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| In April of my 71st year, I decided to compile a series of memories that
had dominated my life in my early 60s. |
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| Part 1: Encounters |
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Going back 10 years to 2001.
The previous year had been my 60th birthday. Taking that as an opportunity,
I handed over the management of KSB Co., which had been in business for
12 years, to Mr. Y. Two years prior to that, he had joined the company
with my intention to entrust him with the future of the company, and it
was fortunate that he proved to be a trustworthy individual as expected.
In the summer of 2000, the entertainment town “IKSPIARI” opened near my
home at the Maihama Disney Resort in Urayasu City. The shopping district
features modern, old-fashioned, and brand-name shops on the second and
third floors, while the first and fourth floors are dedicated to restaurants.
It is not only popular among young people and families but also enjoyable
for seniors.
What delighted me most was the cinema complex across the plaza from the
shopping district. Sixteen movie theaters occupy a single section. There's
always a movie I want to see whenever I go. I frequented it to my heart's
content and reported on the newly established plaza “IKSPIARI 2000” for “Viva, Seniors!” (Currently moved under the “Memos & Memories”
Square).
By the way, I had been hiking in the mountains once a month with the Fukagawa
Hiking Club since 1998. It was not only good for the rehabilitation of
my left side handicap damaged by a brain infarction over a decade ago,
but also refreshing for my mind.
That year (2000), I climbed Mount Tsukuba, Kayagatake, Daibosatsurei, Kitayokodake,
Ohtake..., I wonder how many mountains I climbed. 14 travelogues of them
that year are found in "Mountain Hiking" Square.
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In February 2001, a new chapter began in my life..... , though it would
end in a bitter disappointment six months later.
I received a call from Ms. O, a fellow mountain hiker, asking if I would
be interested in teaching at KKR's “Senior Computer Class.” KKR is an organization
composed of former national government employees, with hot spring resorts
nationwide serving as a place of relaxation for their families. As a new
initiative, they partnered with H Manufacturing to launch a two-night,
three-day package tour combining sightseeing and a computer class, rotating
among their hot spring facilities.
One day was dedicated to sightseeing, while the other day featured a computer
class using about 15 computers during the daytime, focusing on practical
skills for daily life. After a soak in the hot springs, there was a social
gathering in the evening. Even H Manufacturing lacked staffs capable of
handling both daytime and evening duties. That’s when Ms. O apparently
thought of me.
From April, I served as a “computer instructor and social gathering coordinator”
for two weeks each at Izu Nagaoka and Gunma Minakami, staying overnight
for a week at each location. I was grateful to Ms. O for giving me a job
that suited my personality. Meanwhile, an event that would captivate me
was unfolding alongside those enjoyable days. |
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I was a member of the JFN mailing list for Hitotsubashi University alumni (Josui-kai). The first offline meeting was held in the spring of the previous year, with about 50 people gathering at the Kunitachi Campus for cherry blossom viewing and drinking.
In March 2001, the second offline meeting was held at Sano Shoin Hall next
to the campus, and I attended. The luncheon was lively, and for me with
few memories of my alma mater, everyone's speeches were new to my ears.
The oldest-looking person stood up and took the microphone. He was tall,
wearing a dark blue suit with vertical stripes, reminiscent of a British
gentleman. He prefaced his remarks by mentioning his graduation from Tokyo
University of Commerce and said the following.
“I am Y, graduated from the faculty on December 27, 1941. Out of the 149 surviving classmates, most are in their 80s or 90s and require care.”
Setting aside the humor, he graduated in the year the Pacific War broke out. All university students nationwide who were scheduled to graduate the following spring were promoted to graduation in December and immediately drafted into military service. (I was one and a half years old at the time, and everyone was nearly two generations older than me.)
There were 352 graduates from Tokyo University of Commerce. His classmates
are referred to as the “December Club.”
Y-senpai (senior) continued in a strong voice.
"This December marks the 60th anniversary of our December Club's graduation.
We have accumulated a considerable amount of anthologies created at various
milestones, so we would like to publish at least the table of contents
on our newly opened website as a commemorative event. The originals are
all stored in the library of the Josui Kaikan, so those who are interested
can trace them."
It sounded like he was subtly asking for help, and the listeners' eyes
seemed to turn toward me. I offered my assistance.
I met Mr. Y at a café in Kichijoji, where he showed me the 40th anniversary
anthology “Waves,” which he had brought with him. There were apparently
several other volumes. I felt relieved that I could help with the creation
of the table of contents alone. Y-senpai (senior) seemed pleased and asked
me to attend the next meeting a few days later so he could propose the
idea.
I attended their meeting at the Josui Kaikan, and met the six December
Club executives for the first time. N-senpai, the shortest with stooped
shoulders of the group, was also present.
At the meeting, I carelessly blurted out, “I'd like to digitize and publish the entire ‘Waves’ collection.”
Fortunately, the seniors seemed to have ignored it and didn't take it seriously,
but after the meeting, the person who later turned out to be N-senpai gave
me a copy, saying, “It seems you like it.” I accepted it as a pure gesture
of goodwill.
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There is a document conversion software called "e.Typist." When
I blurted out “digitization,” this software came to mind. I have been using
it for several years to organize documents both publicly and privately.
Upon returning home, I looked through “Waves” again. It is a collection
of writings from when everyone was in their sixties, a hardcover volume
spanning 860 pages. The historical context and the lives of each individual
who dedicated their youth... the desire to digitize it became unstoppable.
Action was the only option.
Despite some hesitation, I carefully disassembled the book page by page.
I copied each page separately to avoid capturing the reverse side. The
pile of pages doubled in size. It took several days.
I connected the scanner to the computer and launched the e.Typist. I began
scanning from the first page.
This is an anthology of 206 people, including seniors and close relatives.
Yes, I will create a space called “Waves Square". When you click on
each item in the table of contents, a new window will open with that person's
writing. I decided to do my best to get as far as I could.
It would be fine to just show the table of contents at the commemorative
general meeting in December that my seniors were aiming for. It would be
worth doing just to be able to show a sample of the contents of the collection.
With that in mind, I repeated the scanning process for several days. Even
if I spent two hours a day on this task, it would take more than ten days.
I converted this into a specified text file, copied each entry into the
website form one by one, and made them independent for each creator. I
checked for scanning errors (which was quite time-consuming) and linked
them to the table of contents. Thinking about the required man-hours is
daunting, but it's better to act than to think. I am grateful to Mr. Y,
who is supporting the company, for giving me this freedom. |
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After linking the table of contents and the content pages for the dozen
members of “Waves,” I decided to visit Y-senpai's home a week later to
discuss various matters, including the overall concept of the “December
Club HP,” recent developments, social gatherings, and how to build other
forums.
Driving from Urayasu in my X-Trail via the Metropolitan Expressway, I arrived at a quiet residential area near Zenpukuji Park in Suginami Ward. It was an old two-story house. The side was a garage with a car parked inside. I wonder if he still drives.
It’s close to Nishi-Ogikubo Station on the JR line. I wonder if he lives
alone with his wife in this spacious mansion.
As I was guided through the dimly lit hallway, I imagined there might be
several unused rooms. Both the hallway and the living room at the end were
decorated with landscape and portrait paintings. My senior explained that
they were his wife's works.
From that day until the December commemorative general meeting, I visited
it more than ten times. I became quite close with his wife, too, and she
gave me two of her works. |
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In the living room, there was my senior Y's work desk with a desktop computer
and a printer. On the side table were an external hard drive and a scanner.
After having tea, I connected my hard drive to the desktop computer, and then operated the computer to display the files I had created at home. A discussion began with my senior.
Any issues that could be resolved on the spot were corrected and updated
on the screen. For major revisions or tasks requiring more time, I took
them home as homework. The planned two hours flew by, and we had to call
it a day. I copied the current state of the screen back to my hard drive
I brought. At that point, even if we were far apart, we could share the
same screen and communicate effectively.
From then on, this process repeated each time I visited. As a result, remote
work conducted via phone or email also progressed smoothly with minimal
misunderstandings. |
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However, working side by side demonstrates a level of connection beyond
mere results. The world I didn’t know is directly conveyed to me through
Y-senpai’s breathing.
These are the people who lost many of their classmates, endured and survived
under the control of fate, and built post-war Japan to what it is today.
All of them are now over 80 years old. The members of December Club, embodying
youthful dream and will power of their own. What are they trying to convey
to us, the younger generation?
As I worked alongside them on the digitization of the anthologies, I began
to feel the waves of their strained voices.
The outline of the seniors' intentions began to take shape. Frequent executive
meetings were held at the Josui Kaikan. Senior Y explained the progress
using a projector. They had known each other for 60 years, since their
student days spent in dormitory life. The discussions were heated and uncompromising.
Reflecting this, revisions, additions, deletions, and other minor adjustments
were made. I take notes on key points and connect them to the next task.
I must complete my homework while the atmosphere of the meeting is still
fresh in my mind. Staying up all night is no hardship. |
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When the summer passed, the overall structure of the website was finalized.
The homepage features the photos from the literary collection and the memorable
headlines from the Ikkyo Newspaper. |
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The number of squares far exceeded my initial expectations, wholly with
the commemorative anthologies for the 30th, 40th (Waves), and 50th (Waves
2) anniversaries, as well as albums, Club newsletters, retrospectives,
recent news, and more.
For now, I will only include the table of contents or excerpts, and will
digitize the contents as much as possible using a scanner. The main purpose
is to unveil them at the commemorative general meeting in December.
For reference, the volume of the main document assets is as follows. |
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Graduation Memorial Album, 1941 |
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310 pages |
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25th Anniversary Album, 1966 |
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99 pages |
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30th Anniversary Commemorative
Collection, 1971 |
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320 pages |
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40th Anniversary Collection
“Waves,” 1981 |
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864 pages |
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50th Anniversary Collection
“Waves 2,” 1991 |
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1,179 pages |
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December Club Newsletter,
～2001 (3 times a year) Issues |
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1～108 issues |
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| Reading (25:55) on |
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