I hope this message finds everyone well.
The cold days have passed, and the reddish-purple azaleas are now in full bloom.

The rainy season is just around the corner.
Time flies so quickly—it never ceases to amaze me.

A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine may eventually be reached, possibly due to significant concessions from Ukraine under pressure from former U.S. President Trump.
However, Russia’s sly territorial strategies remain persistent, and it seems this situation will require considerable time to resolve.

Complicating matters is the fact that North Korean troops are reportedly providing support to Russia, giving them a considerable upper hand in the current conflict. As a result, Russia shows no willingness to agree to a ceasefire. President Putin continues to dodge and delay negotiations with Trump.

Perhaps things will remain in this state until Trump gives up.
The suffering of the Ukrainian people is clearly reflected in President Zelenskyy’s expression.
We Japanese feel a deep sense of helplessness.
We can only hope that this war will come to an end soon.

Unfortunately, it appears that the war will continue for some time.

Meanwhile, rice prices remain high.
Even though the Ministry of Agriculture is releasing some stockpiles, prices are not coming down.
What is going on?

I suspect that only about 10% of the stored rice is being released to the market, and the remaining 90% is being kept hidden.
Many say Japanese rice is the best, but American rice is also quite delicious.

About 40 years ago, I once told a friend who ran a rice shop that American rice is just as good as Japanese rice.
He said, “Then bring some.” So I bought some from a U.S. supermarket and had him try it—he admitted, “It’s actually really good.”

Although the Ministry of Agriculture and Industry has provided various explanations for the shortages, shouldn’t the government be offering affordable rice to the public if there really isn’t enough?
This matter should be properly investigated to prevent such issues in the future.

Good Thai rice, while requiring a different cooking method, can also be delicious—and it is much cheaper.
In emergencies, we should have systems in place to import rice from abroad swiftly.

Of course, when we say this, the Ministry always offers sophistry and claims, “That can’t be done.”
But emergencies require emergency measures.

In the future, we are likely to see fewer people managing farms.
That’s why I believe we should start now by expanding rice fields and mechanizing agriculture to produce rice efficiently on a larger scale.
So far, the Ministry’s solutions have failed.

Why is it that even the supposedly intelligent policymakers can’t get emergency rice supplies to the people in time?
They’ve lost the people’s trust.
Wouldn’t it be reasonable to allow a certain level of free rice imports from the U.S. or Thailand?

Now, let me shift to another topic.
Lately, a significant number of Japanese swords are being exported overseas.
Foreign collectors study these swords deeply and possess detailed knowledge.
There are even Japanese sword dealers outside of Japan.
Many of them visit Japan and return with large numbers of swords.

Recently, a sale of armor and helmets was held.
I attended, but was unable to purchase anything—most of the items were bought by foreigners.
High-quality suits of armor have sadly become inaccessible to the Japanese.

Japanese people working under foreign direction are purchasing large quantities of armor, and this trend is also spreading to Japanese swords.
However, these foreign collectors take excellent care of their collections, so I believe the swords will be preserved well into the future.

The other day, a woman from the neighborhood came to me and said, “I have two Japanese swords. Would you be willing to buy them?”
From my years of experience, I believed they were genuine.
She said, “You can pay whatever you think is fair.”
The swords were housed in WWII-era army mounts.

Upon examining the signature, I was convinced of the blade’s authenticity.
The blade had been slightly shortened and was in a rather rusty condition.

It turned out that she and I had both attended the same elementary school, Toyama Elementary, after the war.
We were of the generation raised on powdered milk and plain bread rolls.
When I explained the sword’s condition and offered several hundred thousand yen, she replied, “20,000 yen is fine.”
I told her, “We’re friends who drank powdered milk together,” and purchased the sword for the originally proposed price.

It brought back memories.
In class, we used to eat those bread rolls and powdered milk.
We’d cut the ends off the rolls, toss them into the air, and try to catch them in our mouths—until one day, our teacher saw us.
He marched over and told me, “Stand up,” and slapped me hard.

Looking back, I believe he couldn’t stand to see food being treated as a toy during such difficult postwar times.
He was a good teacher—his name was Taiji Kunimoto.

Today, such behavior might be seen as excessive and punishable.
But even back then, I knew I had done wrong, and I sincerely apologized.

That woman, too, was part of the powdered milk generation.
We talked about how tough those days were.
I told her that I would have the sword restored and pass it on to a good person.
It felt like a fateful encounter.

Now, the azaleas are in full bloom—red, white, and purple blossoms everywhere.
As I walk my dog, Sakura, I admire the riot of beautiful colors.

Sakura is now 15 years old, and I am 84.
As we walk slowly, I say to her, “We’re both getting there,” and keep my mouth shut, plodding along beside her.

Please, let us all take good care of the elderly.
You, too, will be old one day.
To all the grandfathers and grandmothers out there—may you enjoy peaceful walks together.
To husbands and wives—prices may be rising, but I hope you occasionally enjoy a walk in the mountains.
Let us teach our children kindness, cheerfulness, and modesty.
Let them experience the richness of nature.

Wishing you all the best.

Kazushige Tsuruta