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This afternoon, I visited Mr. Isao and Mrs. Yoshiko Sagara at their home in Inagi city on the outskirts of Tokyo. During my stay in Arkansas, U.S.A. in April and May of this year, they took care of me so well that I was obliged to them. Although they came back here before the summer, it was the first time for me to see them again in Japan. I thanked them for their kind and heartful hospitality.
Mr. Sagara quitted a general manager of a big Japanese company and entered a university in U.S.A. about twenty years ago. Just after he graduated from the university, he became a professor of University of Arkansas. He taught at the university for ten years and retired three years ago. These days they spend their lives at their home in Japan in autumn and winter and stay at Arkansas in spring and summer. I wrote in my travel diary how I enjoyed my stay there. So if you have any interest, please refer to the diary.
There is not much difference of culture between Tokyo and New York, I think. Although President Clinton came from Arkansas, the state is said to be one of the poorest among united states, the second from the bottom. It is mostly highlands covered with thickets of assorted trees. It is vast but with a small population. You can never imagine how it is while you are in Japan. People there are left unprotected from the weather such as heat, coldness, rains, floods or tornadoes. But they work hard to survive and also enjoy their life in nature, cooperating each other. People, who are in a valley where Mr. & Mrs, Sagara live, never lock out their houses when they go out. It means there is no robbery. I experienced a so-called a culture shock while I was staying there.
Those who has contributed for the progress of nation were born and bread here, by utilizing the latest communication technology like internet. Mr. Clinton is one of them. The late Mr. Sam Walton, a founder of "Wal-Mart"the largest retailer in the world, came from this state. The Wal-Mart keeps their headquarters here.
Mr. Sagara is now working hard for painting his house. He also keeps a small vegetable garden which is supplying enough vegetables for his family. He lives at his home in Japan just on the same way as he does in Arkansas. In Japan, to paint houses is a work of professionals not of husbands. There is no one around here except Mr. Sagara, who paint his home himself. But Mrs. Sagara is worrying that his works, using a light aluminum ladder for painting walls and roofs are very dangerous.
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