I hope everyone is doing well.
The cherry blossoms have fallen, and the azalea flowers are also beginning to fade.
Recently, the price of Japanese swords has been rising significantly.
Unlike before, customers from Europe, the United States, Australia, and other regions have begun purchasing eagerly, with a noticeable tendency to buy higher-priced Japanese swords.
The Japanese yen has depreciated considerably; however, interestingly, while a hamburger in the United States costs about 2,000 yen, in Japan it can be eaten for around 1,000 yen.
The US dollar has shifted from 80 yen to 155 yen, creating nearly a twofold gap compared to previous prices, meaning that Japanese swords can effectively be purchased at around 50% of their former cost.
In the past, Japanese swords were regarded as something owned by men and were often avoided by women.
However, foreign visitors to Japan actively show them even to children, and one can sense an attitude of teaching Japanese culture, so children will likely develop an interest in Japanese swords from an early age.
Most foreign customers who visit our shop seem to prefer works with koshirae, while shirasaya tends not to be as popular.
Many people from Germany, in particular, are fond of Japanese swords and appear to handle them with great care.
They always wear white gloves and bow politely while viewing them.
It is likely that in Germany, instructors actively teach the proper way to handle and appreciate these items.
At the Japanese Sword Museum, appraisals are conducted every month.
In recent years, the number of foreign applicants has increased significantly.
Whereas there used to be only one or two individuals, there are now about 12 to 13, and this number is expected to grow further as more people begin collecting Japanese swords.
There are many highly enthusiastic individuals.
Recently, the world has become smaller, and wars are occurring in various regions.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has already continued for more than three years.
The conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has also become prolonged, with no clear end in sight.
In the past, the United States acted as the world’s police, but now it responds that countries should handle their own matters and not rely on the United States, suggesting that conflicts may arise in various places going forward.
There is also the possibility of future conflicts between China and Taiwan, and between North Korea and South Korea.
There could even be conflicts involving Japan and Russia, Japan and China, or Japan and North Korea.
It is even conceivable that after a conflict between North and South Korea, the two nations might become unified.
The rapid advancement of AI is remarkable.
Taxis are becoming automated, and a future without drivers may soon arrive.
English interpretation can be done easily, and even many world languages can now be translated effortlessly.
It is also simple to create personal schedules and to retrieve necessary data from vast lists.
Therefore, even in the legal profession, AI may become the most capable, producing the best possible answers.
Humans may only need to operate computers while drafting the most accurate conclusions, and such an era is approaching.
The same may apply to doctors.
While skilled trades such as sword polishing or barbering may be difficult to automate, tasks that involve selecting from vast amounts of data are better handled by computers.
Moreover, by entrusting such tasks to computers, they continue to surpass human capabilities, which is truly astonishing.

About 30 years ago, there were centenarians known as “Gin-san and Kin-san.”
They were celebrated as a joyous milestone and became a major news topic at the time.
Today, however, there are 11,979 men and 87,784 women aged 100 or older, with women overwhelmingly outnumbering men.
In some prefectures, it is said that a congratulatory gift of 1,000,000 yen is awarded.
With as many as 99,763 people over the age of 100, reaching such an age is truly a wonderful occasion.
Grandfathers and grandmothers, I hope you are doing well.
Please continue to spend your days happily together.
To husbands and wives as well, I wish you good health—please take time to relax, perhaps by visiting a hot spring.
Children, consider joining the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, and in the summer, enjoy the refreshing flow of clear rivers.
Live with kindness, cheerfulness, and simplicity.
Taking on difficult work leads to an easier future.
Engaging in challenging tasks is very important.
If you face hardships when you are young, you will no longer find them difficult as you grow older.
Think about your future and how you should live your life.
For those who have experienced hardship, a brighter and happier time will surely come.

Kazushige Tsuruta