Now, in the alumni association of the company where I used to work, there is a gentleman named Tsutomu Ando, who will be celebrating his 99th birthday this year (according to the traditional Japanese age‑counting system). He holds a solo recital every few years as a hobby, and I recently received an invitation announcing that he will be giving a concert to commemorate his 99th birthday. I am once again amazed that there are such energetic elderly people. Although I worked in

Tête de veau, at a restaurant in Lyon, June 2025 Blog Update At the start of this year, I intended to update my blog regularly with personal stories and reflections. However, time seemed to slip by, and before I realized it, an entire year had passed without many posts. For those of you I haven't connected with in a while, I want to assure you through this blog that I am doing well. While there haven't been major changes in my life, I continue to cherish everyday moments and

Chapter 17, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770～1827, died at 56 ) Beethoven's grandfather, a renowned bass singer from what is now Belgium, moved to Bonn and rose from singer to conductor at the Elector of Cologne’s court chapel. His father, also a court singer, subjected him to rigorous piano training from an early age, hoping to shape him into a great musician. At 16, he visited Vienna and met Mozart. During his subsequent years in Bonn, he was favored by the Breuning family and b