Three years ago (December 2020), I wrote an essay titled “My Friend, "Viva, Seniors!" reflecting on the “footsteps of my friend” over the 20 years from my 60th to 80th birthday.
Since then, I do not wish to attribute everything to the COVID-19 pandemic that spread during that time, but I have become acutely aware of the rapid decline in both my physical and mental health. My writing hobby has been limited to a few essays about my personal circumstances and the travelogue “Three Days in Matsumoto City and Azumino during the 2022 Rainy Season,” excluding the translation of my previous Japanese works into English.
Last month, I traveled to Arima Onsen and the Kobe area for three days, but I lost the motivation and energy to write a travelogue, so I simply left a photo album in “Some Place on Some Day” square.

Now that the end of the year is approachiing, just feeling like indulging in my nostalgic hobby once more, I have decided to write another piece titled “My Friend "Viva, Seniors! The Sequel” to pass the time.

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As speaking to my alter ego, I hesitate to overlook the following event, which took place 10 years before my 70th birthday, or 22 years ago from now (I mentioned it two years ago in “Establishing the ‘Chronicle of My Half-Life’,” but...).
About 32 years ago from now, a little before my 60th birthday, I was engaged in mountain hiking as part of rehabilitation for my left-side disability, and was also teaching a senior computer class at the NHK Cultural Center in Toyocho, Tokyo. So I set up a “Mountain Hiking” square in the newly launched homepage “Viva, Seniors!” and uploaded the travelogues from each mountain hike to use as teaching materials in the class.

Impac

　Around that time (2001), the government-sponsored Impac (Internet Expo) was held to promote the development of public and private websites nationwide, and a commemorative conference was hosted at a certain location in Tokyo. Thanks to my homepage friend, I also attended it with my small mustache (at the time), as shown in the photos below.

The Impac was an online event modeled after an exposition, held from December 31, 2000, to December 31, 2001, as part of the Japanese government's Millennium Commemorative Project, which was initiated by Taichi Sakaiya, former Director-General of the Economic Planning Agency, and as an economic stimulus measure.
The event was organized by the Management Office of the Minister's Secretariat and the New Millennium Commemorative Events Promotion Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The minister in charge was initially Taichi Sakaiya, but during the event period, the role was handed over to Heizo Takenaka, the Minister in Charge of Economic and Fiscal Policy (the main gate's co-editors included Hiroshi Aramata and Shigesato Itoi, among four others). The Internet Culture Promotion Association was established as a supporting organization from the private sector, with Mr. Hiroshi Okuda, then chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, serving as its chairman. (Wikipedia)

Despite being a grand event launched with the full support of the Japanese government, this large gathering disappeared into the depths of space like a comet shortly after it ended.
Truly regrettable that my homepage friend, therefore, missed the opportunity to show himself to the public. He had such a square at that time.

The “squares” in 2001

“Mountain Walking,” “Someday, Somewhere” (photo collection), “Zakkicho” (essays, travelogues, autobiographical novels), “Anecdotes” (short essays, short travelogues) 　

Tracking the update record corner over the next two decades, ...

In 2004, the following new squares were established.
“Memos & Memories” ... compiling “Rakugo for Good Luck” and “Selected Edo Haiku”.
(Additional sections added up to this present square in 2023... “Ikspiari 2000,” “Myself in the 50s,” “Couple's Travel,” “BGM Saloon,” “What is the December Club?,” “Exchanges at AA Net,” “Exchanges at UIFA”)
“USA 69-70" ... compiling ‘Penn State’ and ‘26-Day Trip with Two Friends.’ A collection of memories from my company-sponsored study abroad program at Penn State University in the United States. Spending a year apart from my wife and daughter was honestly quite challenging.
"Introduction to the Southern Kii Peninsula" ... A personal introduction to this region spanning the southern part of the Kii Peninsula and its corner known as ‘Miwasaki, My Hometown’ (Miwasaki, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture).

In 2010 (the year of my 70th birthday),
“My Favorite Haiku Poets and Their Haiku” ... Haiku by famous haiku poets from the Edo period to the modern era, as well as haiku by my wife, “The Woman Who Knows.”

灼(や)くるもの殺生石と地蔵尊　(2010.09) Scorching heat, they are killing stones, and Jizo statues (September 2010)

“Travel Diary“ ... A collection of travel photos and travelogues published in the various squares has been compiled and reprinted here

In 2011, two new squares were added.
”Learning America Through Famous Speeches"... A collection of speeches by prominent figures in American history (in English and Japanese, with annotations). When I visited the Research Society Company to explain the purpose of this project, the staff in charge gave me related books with valuable advice.
“English Edition"... This square compiles travel essays (domestic and international) from ‘Zakkicho’ and ‘Anecdotes,’ a four-part autobiographical novel series, various essays. All of the English translations are from my own Japanese writings. Plus, email diaries. 　

Starting sometime in 2019, I spent an entire year translating the English-language novel “The Last Shogun” into Japanese. It may be considered inappropriate to refer to the original work, “最後の将軍 (The Last Shogun)” (written by Ryotaro Shiba), but I am satisfied with managing to complete the translation without having read the original Japanese novel.

In 2022, I revised “My Half-Life Story” (2020) and turned it into a “Chronicle of My Half-Life” square for my wife and me.
We have been together for over half a century, and during the days, there have been many ups and downs surrounding our family. I have compiled them here with photos.

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I will highlight the notable points during that time below.

The Road to the website with my reading

During voice reading

In 2009, the year before I turned 70, I described the process of my homepage friend toward a full-fledged audio in the essay titled “My Struggle with Reading, a Sequel.”
I wanted to make my audios, which took up a lot of website space and required extra time to download, immediately accessible on the internet without any inconvenience. To achieve this, both technological innovations in web infrastructure and cost-saving measures for site maintenance were essential. It was around this time that signs of such innovations began to emerge.
My friend switched to a larger provider, which slightly increased the cost but boosted the site's storage capacity tenfold. Download speeds also saw a significant improvement. The subsequent technological advancements since then are beyond imagination

As of 2023, the total duration of my readings available for download from the website is approximately 1,000 hours. From my still-vibrant voice 20 years ago to my current aged voice, I am quite satisfied with the results, considering the circumstances at the time. In fact, I believe that the moderate tension during reading is beneficial for both the mind and body. As a result, I hope that it will be a place of relaxation for both the eyes and ears.
While walking or traveling, I choose works to listen to as I please. During that time, new ideas are born that lead to the next work, or at least I find a few areas that need revision.
With my creative drive and energy waning, and no more unread works left, re-reading and re-re-reading my own works is not just a way to pass the time, but a pleasant moment for myself. 　

Incidentally, I would like to mention three MIDI songs composed and performed by Mr. Y, who contributed the background music for each work and reading.

"Viva, Seniors!"　"The Sea of Miwasaki"　"Hope"

My friendship with Mr. Y is a source of pride for me. He is a composer and performer who plays various instruments such as the organ, guitar, and flute. His second-floor room at home is filled with these instruments. The performances are recorded as MIDI music, and 122 of them are available in the “Kenzo Yoshino's BGM Saloon” corner of my friend's “Memos & Memories” square. I hope you will visit. (MIDI...Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

In the second chapter of this essay, “A Year of the HP,” published as the 73rd story in the “Notebook” square, there is the following description. While complaining about the decline of my energy, I made up for it with desk work.

1. Adding missing sections from my 20s to 50s…short essays on rakugo stories, anecdotes from my trip to England, etc.
2. Translation of an English children's story…D-kun's original children's story “I'm Karl, the Chameleon” set in Hawaii, USA.

D-kun is the third son of Mr. GS, a missionary in my hometown, whom I have been indebted to since my days preparing for university entrance examination.
Through our close relationship, in 2005, when he was working at a coffee farm on the Big Island, he helped make possible a six-day trip to Hawaii for 20 of us from our high school class reunion group. At the coffee farm, he provided a thorough and thoughtful guide, and even took us to his home by the coast.

Looking over the descriptions in Chapter 2, “Travel and Hobbies,” and Chapter 3, “English Edition,”

This year I visited five domestic travel destinations, including Matsushima, Zuiganji Temple, and Goshiki Marsh, and has been planning a four-day tour of northern Kyushu at the end of the year.
As for overseas travel, it may end with last year's trip to Bali and Java.
My current hobby is focused on English. The days of listening to rakugo through headphones or classical music through a stereo system are gone, as my ears are now captivated by English, whether I'm out and about, in my study, or in bed. However, I still feel frustrated that I can't keep up with natural speaking speed. I attend the “Senior English Conversation” class at UIC (Urayasu International Center) and continue the three-person English conversation meeting.

The “English Edition” square I launched in May of last year is progressing smoothly with translations of my previous travelogues, novels, and essays. I met a Spanish woman on Facebook and, with her in mind, translated a travelogue around Spain and Portugal in 2006 into English and posted it on this square. She was thrilled!

From “Welcome to the Year of the Dog, 2018” (Notebook, Episode 109)

In the late autumn of the previous year, our couple traveled to Shirahone Onsen in Nagano Prefecture. The rough notes I took on the train ride there and back are posted in Chapter 3.

In the “English Edition” square, I proudly emphasize the following two points.

"English Diary" ... I was continuing to post my emails to my English conversation partner I-san. Our such communications for 3 years and 7 months is carried in this corner. When I look back on them, they are like a diary, reminding me of what happened during that time. I am grateful to I-san! (The correspondence continued until February 7 of the same year, but due to I-san's long-term hospitalization, it had to come to an end. Unfortunately, I-san passed away that year.)
Of course, with the consent of my friend Ms. M, the “Three-Person English Chat Meeting” also came to an end.)

The original text of the Current Affairs English Lecture and my Japanese translation ... I have already posted 36 topics. Mr. T, a lecturer, is also pleased. 　

Even while scratching my head over drinking every night without a break, I feel no guilt.

In 2022, the “Chronicle of My Half-Life” square was established (Notebook, Episode 146).

In the previous autumn, I underwent surgery to implant a pacemaker in order to regulate my heartbeat. Afterward, having lost my usual creative drive, I decided to compile our couple's half-life into a square as a way to pass the time.

* Four novels ... The Life of a Seafarer (my parents), My 25 Years as a Salaryman (my wife and me), Pea-chan and My 50s (the life of a cute budgerigar), and The Story of the Auditorium Where Monsters Live (my proud achievements in my 60s)
* Post-60th birthday couple's travels... Domestic: approximately 70 trips, Overseas: 19 trips
* Days in my 70s... Major aspects of daily life
* My wife's collection of haiku poems, about 1,500 poems
* Photo album of my parents and our couple

Other stuffs after I turned 80. I'm super happy that I finally got to translate the English novel “The Last Shogun” into Japanese. I'm looking back on the tough year of the work.
At the end, I'm showing off my breakfast. This is from January 11, 2022.

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I have been indulging in endless, self-centered memories. In the next chapter, I will gather various anecdotes from my life after turning 70.

Part 1 Reading　27：48