日報

I went to OGAWA COFFEE LABORATORY in Sakurashinmachi.
I think I saw it on Instagram, and the video that popped up looked so stylish that I really wanted to go. It was indeed as stylish and wonderful as I imagined.

The building seemed to have been built specifically for this store, with a consistent design throughout. Large glass windows offered a full view of the interior, and in the center was a large cylindrical wall. The counter where the staff stood was designed to be lower than everything else, which I felt emphasized the spaciousness. It was simple and cool.

It's amazing how a simple, straight-lined interior became so well-balanced just by adding a round wall in the center. The slight groove in the ceiling of the round wall was a small detail that I found particularly charming.

The prices were a bit high, but I realized it didn't bother me because the space was so wonderful. That's pretty impressive.

Since I've started an online shop, I dream of one day opening a physical store. So, I visited this shop feeling like I was on a reconnaissance mission. Photographer Konegi and I enjoyed delicious food and coffee, oohing and ahhing over everything. In the end, we simply had a fun time and headed home.

There's a Chinese restaurant I frequent that's a bit too far to call "nearby," about a 10-minute drive away.

Our first encounter was by chance. I was craving ramen and headed to a ramen shop, but when I arrived, it was closed. Feeling disappointed, I thought, "A nearby Chinese place will do," and went into this restaurant.

When the place you intended to go to is closed, it's quite hard to switch gears. Your heart is set on the taste of that particular restaurant, and you have to change your mindset while also searching for the next place. And with an empty stomach, your brain isn't working properly, so you tend to fall into a negative loop.

It was during such a moment that I happened to enter this Chinese restaurant. It was truly delicious, and I was deeply impressed. After that, I started going there often.

It's not a particularly fancy or clean restaurant; it's a typical Chinese place, run by what seems like a family. The restaurant is always full, and there's often a line. The menu consists of simple items like ramen, fried rice, gyoza, and stir-fried vegetables, but everything is delicious.

There's nothing particularly outstanding about the ingredients or cooking methods, but I wonder why it's so incredibly tasty. Well, it's like comparing me swinging a bat to Shohei Ohtani swinging a bat – it's a completely different sport. I often find myself thinking such meaningless things as I watch the chef wield his wok, trying to figure out his secret.

It's truly wonderful when you stumble upon something good by chance. For me, this Chinese restaurant is one of those places.

I'm determined to try every item on the menu, but I always end up ordering the same thing!

I want to watch the Olympics.
But I keep waking up in the morning and only seeing the results every day.

After quitting my job and starting kikkake, I imagined I would have a freer life.
I thought my lifestyle would become irregular, but contrary to my expectations, it became more and more regular.
I get sleepy at night and wake up with the sun.

These are the worst possible conditions for watching the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Things I want to watch start at 26:00 or something - absolutely impossible.
It's the 10th day of the Olympics, past the halfway point, and I'm still not in "Olympics mode."

But! I must watch tonight.
Men's Snowboard Halfpipe Final.
Four Japanese athletes have advanced to the final, and Ayumu Hirano has also made it to the final with a miraculous comeback from injury.
I can't forget his spectacular performance at the last Beijing Olympics.

What time is it on tonight?
From 27:30!?

Someone please tell them that a day only has 24 hours.
If the earth wasn't round, maybe the whole world would be on the same time.

Since there's zero chance I'll be able to stay awake,
I've decided to go to bed at 9 PM and wake up at 3 AM.
First, I'll start by conquering myself.
Good luck to both the athletes and me!

When I was a student taking kanji tests, I remember that once I wrote the first kanji, the subsequent ones would often flow easily. But if I came across one kanji I didn't know, then the next ones would also become impossible to recall.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence that several unknown kanji appeared in a row, but I used to think of it as my brain switching between a "solving mode" and a "non-solving mode."

Sometimes, when I wasn't in the groove, if I skipped a problem and came back to it later, the answer would suddenly pop into my head. So, I figured that when I'm not feeling it, the correct thing to do is to stop for a bit without forcing it.

Regarding work, when I'm not in the zone, I suppose it would be good to just step away for a bit, but it's not always that easy, is it?

If I could control my mood when I'm not feeling good, I wouldn't be in a bad mood in the first place, so I sometimes think it's not as simple as it sounds.

However, there's one case where I know I can solve the problem myself. That's when I'm hungry. Hunger not only makes me grumpy but also makes my brain slow down, and often I don't even realize that hunger is the cause.

So, when I feel like I'm not on top of my game, I often just eat something without overthinking it. I've been doing that for a long time.

Sometimes that brings me back on track, but often I just end up full and sleepy. In the end, I can't control my mood!

When I was little, I thought I was clumsy.
The reason I thought that was because I couldn't
cut things well with scissors.

Everyone else could cut things properly, but
no matter what I did, I couldn't cut them well, and
I'd lived my life wondering why.

Once I was a bit older, I learned that
"there are right-handed and left-handed scissors."
I was left-handed. Regular scissors are for right-handers.

I learned that when you use right-handed scissors with your left hand,
the blades open up, making it harder to cut things.
It wasn't a lack of dexterity; it was how I was using them.

How important it is to use the right tools
in the right way.
Even now, I still think scissors are a bit difficult,
but when I think that I wouldn't have felt this way
if I'd used left-handed scissors,
it feels like a bit of a waste.

When cooking, many different utensils come into play.
If you use good tools correctly, you can enjoy
cooking delicious food. But if you try to cook with a dull knife
or scissors for the opposite hand, you might not be able to do it well,
and you might start to dislike cooking.

After using them for a while, you start to understand
why you can't use them well, but if you stumble
at the very beginning, you often don't get that far.
So, choosing tools
is crucial from the start, and I feel that you should use good ones.

By the way, I was corrected when I was little, so
I use pens, chopsticks, and knives with my right hand.

Our YouTube channel now has over 30,000 subscribers!
Once again, thank you so much for watching our YouTube and Instagram,
and for visiting the kikkake online store.

Wow, this makes me so happy.
When I first started YouTube, I jokingly said that my goal was to get a Silver Play Button (the award for reaching 100,000 subscribers),
and I can feel myself getting closer little by little.

And the joy I feel as the number of subscribers grows.
Every time I used to see YouTubers say, "Subscribing and commenting really encourages us," I'd think, "Huh, so that's how it is."
But now I know it's true.
I wouldn't have understood this if I hadn't done it myself.
I'm truly happy.

The joy of hearing people say they enjoyed the videos and food we created.
Being able to touch the source of my motivation every day
directly translates into enthusiasm.

When I was a salaryman, the company president often talked about numbers, and I thought I could never be that serious about them.
But now I understand completely; the level of seriousness is entirely different.
They say you can't just "have" initiative just because you're told to,
but the drive and growth you experience when you do have it are incredible.

Initiative. It's difficult to intentionally acquire,
but it's something I want to keep holding onto.

Please continue to support kikkakke!