We all respect your ever-lasting momentum to stay young and communicative competence with people of the world. Tamai Ken-san and I play tennis twice a week together with advanced level-players. He is 70 and I am 75. Time is a thief and we cannot believe our eyes, however we appreciate our serendipity at Fukiai High School under the supervision of our famous Principal, Mr. Takeuchi. 

  Last month, 18 students I was in charge of as their home-room teacher at Fukiai High School (from 1974-1977) got together and had a lunch party in Kobe. They came from all over Japan. They are just 9 years younger than me. In those days I was 26 years old and they were just sweet 17. It was just 48 years ago, and the remains of their high school faces and voices swiftly came back to me and my photographic memories of recognizing their full names and individual faces impressed them all.  My long-term memories are still working, albeit my short-term memories are terrible and hopeless. 

 Time passed so quickly, and it was really like a wink. Before we knew it, everyone went back to his or her high school days.  It was exhilaratingly fun to know that my two former female students who were late for the party asked everyone, looking at me from a little distance, "Who is that guy? Was he one of our classmates?  What was his name?" ... There was a brief silence for a little while. Then, our class representative told them with a mysterious grin, "This man was a transfer student from the UK. Don't you remember? Look at his British hat? " He presumably told a white lie, and everyone enjoyed this dramatic irony in the class reunion.  Everyone felt "Time is a thief, however it is a great writer, too."   We sang "Graduation Photograph" together. 

 An autumn afternoon with lovely smiles and laughter brightly colored each matured face with treasured reminiscence and gentleness in their high school days.

 -------------------Koji Nakamura,Kobe, Japan-----------------------------------------

Our morning temperature is very chilly (the lowest -4C last week) , but usually in the afternoon it warms up to 15-20 c. I go for a one  hour walk almost everyday and enjoy the wide open prairie and a big sky above it. I also enjoy walking through the residential area and look into their garden. Right now most of the houses are displaying  Halloween decorations. Instead Japanese Halloween focuses their creative energy on their costumes , ours is still quite a traditional children's fun festival- “trick or treating” by children with scary costumes and garden ornaments of pumpkins and ghosts (or anything spooky ).

The best season is ahead of you. Enjoy!!

Here in Armidale we had a slow start to the Spring Season, however the cold weather has returned ……….  

Despite this our small garden is full of flowers and our vegetables are growing well too.

Best wishes to you, your family and correspondents.
 

----------------Claus &  Michiko JEHNE, Armidale, NSW. Australia.--------------

◎ How are you all?

 In Japan, still very hot and continuing like midsummer.

 At the university, the graduation ceremony was held in September and the autumn term will start soon.

I am busy with preparations for the autumn term.

 Last month, we went on a trip to Hokkaido for the first time in a while.

Hokkaido was somewhat cooler and it was nice to spend time there comfortably.

The photo shows a lavender farm in Biei (near Furano).Many of the landscapes are similar to New Zealand and I feel very nostalgic.

 Please take care of yourselves, everyone!

 Cheers,

 --------------------Masayuki Kishimoto, Sanda, Hyogo Pref. Japan-----------------

◎残暑お見舞い申し上げます。

I enjoyed reading about “2010 Bon Home Page” again. You must be feeling nostalgic looking back the traditional event of 13 yeas ago.

 Here we are in the beginning of the fall – temperature between 4 °C  to 20°C  . The golden canola crop which presented an image of heaven in June , is now laying in swaths drying in the September sunshine. Huge round bales of hay (1.5x1.8 meters while weighing around 690 kg) were scattered on the vast hay field. I enjoy the views of the fall farm field from my window.

 Will your next home Page be titled “ small signs of the fall'?

I am sending my message this way, because your homepage reply link did not open this time. 

 Your photographs are so good to see, and are always interesting for us to see and read about here in Christchurch.  Your comments bring back such good memories of our earlier days, and how lucky I was to visit you at Sonoda.

 All is well with us here in Christchurch, as we now head into winter here.  

  　　　-------------- Tom Gregg , Christchurch , New Zealand -------------

◎I always look forward to the updates on your website.

　You can see carp streamers every year in Shukugawa Park near my workplace.
　The train in the back of the picture is a JR train.
　It's my daily commuting route,so walking this route is enjoyable.

　This week I will visit Doshisha University in Kyoto.
　Kyoto is so crowded with tourists that it is known as overtourism.
　I spent my university years in Kyoto and there were many people during the autumn leaf season, 　but not as many as now.　
　I would like to visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace, it is a good season.

 --------------------Jocelyn Fifield, Christchurch, New Jealand--------

◎Thank you very much for your May 2024 Coffee Club Homepage.

　It arrived when we were travelling in New Zealand …..

　Attached please find a photo (from our Hotel room) of 

　Akaroa Harbour   about 80km south of  Christchurch.

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 We also visited Hamner Springs, Kaikoura and the town of Picton, in the 

Malborough Sounds area.   The weather was sunny fro the whole time ……

I am sure that you too may have visited these places on your past travels to 

Christchurch …..With our best wishes to you and all your Coffee Club correspondent
s.

-----------------Claus &  Michiko JEHNE, Armidale, NSW. Australia.------------------

It is especially good to see the cherry blossoms in your own fine garden.
I well remember being in your fine country as cherry blossoms were in flower.  One year you took us to Himaji Castle grounds, and we had a Cherry Blossom picnic  - with many other picnics happening around us.  

　　　　--------------------------- ---------------------------- --------------------------- 
 
I certainly DO remember the days in Kyoto, and when we experienced the beautiful cherry blossoms AND snow.  

I have such great memories of my trips to Sonoda Womens University and our visits to other areas in your beautiful countr

--------------Tom Gregg , Christchurch , New Zealand --------------

◎As always, thank you for your Homepage with the sign of Early Spring in the Kobe Area.

　There is not much to report from our country town of Armidale, except to say that we are planning a short trip to the South Island of New Zealand

　There we plan to visit the town of Akaroa (a former French Waling harbour), Hamner Springs (Onsens), Kaikoura (on the ocean) and the Kahurangi National Park near the town of Picton in the north.

　With our best wishes to all the Coffee Club members around the globe.

------------------ Claus & Michiko Jehne,  Armidale, NSW, Australia-------------  

◎Takeuchi sensei

I visit your website from time to time,always enjoy looking at your wonderful photos!
I was very happy to see the comments of my old friends when I met them in New Zealand and Australia.

I am now working at Otemae University in Hyogo.
I work in the Academic Affairs Department and international exchange center.

Otemae University is affiliated to a Japanese language school in Myanmar and has 10 Myanmarese students enrolled.
I visited Myanmar 3 years ago （Just before COVID-19）and visited Yangon
University of Foreign Languages, among others.
I hope Myanmar will be at peace soon.

I hope you are doing well,Takeuchi sensei.
Also, kiwi and Aussie, please take care of yourselves.

If I have a chance, I would like to visit New Zealand and Australia.

---------------------Masayuki Kishimoto, Sanda, Hyogo Pref. Japan----------------

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