I went to Kôchi for two-day lectures. The first day was for parents, and the second day for teachers. This year I planned the lecture for beginners to spread Adlerian Psychology. I have already visited Fukuoka, this time I was in Kôchi, then I will go to Tokyo, Gifu and Hakodate.
Kôchi is surrounded by mountains, while its south side faces the Pacific Ocean. It was isolated for long in the history. As a consequence, the people have unique culture. They are optimistic, they love drinking, they love singing and dancing, and their dialect is very special. I love their temperament.
They have a hero, Ryôma Sakamoto, who was a patriot at the Meiji Restoration. He was a timid and lazy boy in his childhood. He went to Edo (Tokyo) to learn the sword arts. There he met with Kaishu Katsu, who was a famous reformist. Katsu invited him to the navy, and he became one of the first navy officer in Japan. After that, he established a trading company. He persuaded the leaders of the reformist and suggested them to reform politics. According to his suggestion, they made the Restoration; General Tokugawa abdicated, and the Emperor became the head of the state. Ryôma can be said to be the general coordinator of the Meiji Restoration.
All the Kôchi boys respects Ryôma, and makes him a model of their life. When I was a little boy, a university student from Kôchi lived with my family. Those days, to help poor students, a rich family often invited one of them to live together. He was one of those students. In summer, my parents asked him to bring me and my brother to his hometown in Kôchi. I learned from him how to fish, how to swim and how to row a boat. Every year from 8 to 13 years old, I enjoyed my summer vacations in Kôchi. He was another Ryôma; he resembled the hero in temperament, jolly and cheerful. I love Kôchi city and its people mainly because of him. He became a teacher of science in a high school, and now retired. We are still exchanging new year cards every year.
After talking with many Ryôma-s at the lecture, I took a holiday and went fishing. At a river, I caught amago, a sort of trouts (Oncorhynchus masou). I believe this was the biggest amago I had ever caught. Unfortunately, I did not have a measure, and I could not gain the objective data. Everywhere, cherry blossoms were fully blooming.