January 31, 2026: A New Year’s gathering of alumni from Wakei Juku
January 31, 2026: A New Year’s gathering of alumni from "Wakei Juku" (和敬塾), the student dormitory I lived in during my university days, was held in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. This year again, it was a lively and well-attended event, bringing together 45 participants from a remarkably wide range of graduating classes, spanning from 1963 to 2020. As in previous years, the after-party was also full of energy, and we all enjoyed a truly wonderful time. The first party began at 5:00 p.m. at our usual famous Chinese restaurant, and the second party moved to a nearby izakaya and went on until 10:00 p.m. I left after the second party.