日報

When I walk around in early April, I see a familiar sight.

It's the parade of new recruits.

How do I know they're new recruits?

Their crisp suits. The way they walk in a group. Everyone is youthful, with a slight smile.

I don't know where they're coming from or where they're going, but somehow, I just know they're "new recruits" from their atmosphere.

Ah, that brings back memories, I think for a moment, but neither my previous job nor my current one involved the typical interview process, and I've never worn a suit for work.

It's strange that even I, with hardly any "new recruit" experience, feel a sense of nostalgia when I see those fresh groups.

Their fresh innocence, a little nervousness, and the feeling that something new is about to begin naturally make me want to cheer them on.

This year, the cherry blossoms are still in bloom.

New recruits, new students, cherry blossoms – this combination feels so typically Japanese spring-like, and I like it.

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom. It's truly a wonderful feeling.
When we talk about the arrival of spring, we naturally think of cherry blossoms.

Cherry blossoms can certainly be called the representative flower of Japan.
I looked into how long they've been around, and it seems they existed as early as the Nara and Heian periods.

However, it wasn't until the end of the Edo period, with the birth of Somei Yoshino, that they spread throughout the country.

I thought that was more recent than I expected,
even if it was 150 years ago.

First, they spread as a trend,
then they took root in various places,
and before anyone knew it, they had reached a level that could be called culture,
taking root in the hearts of the Japanese people.

Now, they have become an indispensable part of spring in Japan.
Cherry blossoms are amazing.

And now, there's one more thing that we can take for granted as "just being there."

Coffee.

Coffee, too,
feels like a drink that has somehow, before we knew it, permeated the lives of people all over the world,
and truly captured their hearts.
Everyone truly drinks it.

Upon investigation,
it seems this also came to Japan from the Netherlands
in the late Edo period.

To wake up in the morning.
During work breaks. During rest periods. After meals.
Some people drink it casually, others drink it with great care.

Coffee, which accepts any way you choose to drink it,
is deep and cool.

At first, both
must have just been "new things,"
but before I knew it, they had become commonplace.
That's amazing, I thought,
as I drank my coffee,
looked at the cherry blossoms, and felt the arrival of spring.

While filming a video, Konagi, who was in charge of the filming, told me,

"Your pinky finger is sticking out."

Oh, right.
When I hold things, my pinky finger sticks out.

It had been so long since anyone had pointed it out, that I'd forgotten I even had that habit.

The last time someone mentioned it was probably when I was in elementary school.

I think they said something like, "It's just like Reiko Shiratori in the drama 'Shiratori Reiko de Gozaimasu.' Her pinky finger was always sticking out."

It was so long ago that even that memory is a bit vague.

By the way, for me, Reiko Shiratori is not the Honami Suzuki version or the Mayuko Kawakita version, but Tayoko Matsuyuki.

I vaguely remember a time when I hated that my pinky stuck out when I held a cup, and I tried very hard to correct it so my friends wouldn't point it out.

A quarter-century has passed since then.

My attention was drawn to my pinky finger, which I had completely forgotten about, for the first time in a long while.

"Oh, hello, little pinky. Long time no see. How have you been?"

It was a nostalgic feeling, like meeting an old friend again.

Ever since I started my YouTube channel, it's made me more aware of a certain part of myself.

My hands.

I never imagined I'd spend so much time looking at my own hands. And now, seeing them, I can't help but think:

I wish I'd taken better care of them sooner.

I, who had never even used hand cream, only started caring about my hands at this age. Better late than never, I'm starting with hand cream.

My hands appear in videos and online shop photos more often now, so I'd like to present them in the best possible condition if I can.

It won't change overnight, but I hope to gradually improve them.

I've heard that if you consciously use or show a part of your body you want to change, it will.

My hands are always visible, but now that I'm consciously paying attention to them, maybe they'll start to change little by little.

My hands appear in videos every week.

It would be great if we could all enjoy seeing their gradual transformation together.

When I look at popular idols and artists these days, I often hear people say they like them "because they work hard."

I wonder if this "working hard" element has always been around.

I'm sure people have always worked hard, both in the past and now, but it feels like "working hard" itself is more highly valued these days.

Even I, after watching a certain audition program, was so moved by the effort and sincerity of all the participants that I've become a huge fan.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that "sincerity," in addition to "effort," is becoming a very important element.

What exactly is sincerity? If I look it up,

【Sincerity】
The attitude of facing people and things earnestly with a true heart, without mixing in selfish desires.

I see. This feels quite close in meaning to "working hard." While they might be strictly different, I also think that "working hard sincerely" is expressed as "working hard."

It's probably that when you witness someone working hard with straightforward devotion, you naturally want to support them.

Knowing that, I can't help but think that if you work hard sincerely, you will be appreciated. However, if you work hard with that thought in mind, I also feel that some of that sincerity might be lost.

I get confused if I overthink it, so as always, I'll strive to work hard with sincerity so that I can introduce enjoyable and wonderful things.

There was a cherry blossom festival on a nearby street.

It was held by blocking off the road, and it was very lively with festival stalls and dancing.

It was so crowded with people that it was unimaginable from the usual foot traffic. It felt like people were appearing from all sorts of places, to the point where I wondered where all these people usually were.

When it gets warmer and flowers start to bloom, I feel happy and want to go outside.

I can't explain why if someone asks, but it feels like something deep inside me makes me do it.

I'm sure everyone feels the same way.

They were selling yakisoba at the festival stalls. Yakisoba for 600 yen. I thought, it's gotten expensive.

If I thought about it calmly, it would be cheaper to make it at home, and I could tailor it to my preferred taste. I thought that, but that's not the point.

I think eating yakisoba at a festival stall is fun because it gives you that "I'm at a festival" feeling.

Getting sauce on my hands, or not finding a trash can after wiping, or having both hands full after buying a drink. That kind of inconvenience is also part of the festival atmosphere.

Thinking such thoughts, I went home and made yakisoba to eat.