Memories are so vivid when we turn
the pages of our treasure books. They
are
the guest-books of almost 40 years.
Yoyokaku
is only a small, old-fashioned Ryokan
in
Karatsu, but in these pages, filled
with
friendly words of the foreign guests
who
stayed with us, we feel as if our ryokan
were a most extravagant hotel. Friends'
words
have encouraged us all the time, even
when
we were down feeling so small.
Bankers, doctors, soldiers, journalists,
designers, photographers, scholars, authors,
students, housewives, architects, historians,
musicians, dancers,......
Famous people whom we knew famous,
other famous people whom we hadn't known
famous till later, ordinary people who were
not specially famous but were very very special
to us, all these people's cherished memories
come back to us. We are so proud of these
guest books, though we have no valuable things
to boast of.
Here are some of our treasures in our
guest-books.
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The latest guest-book
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Adolf Muschg
German man of letters |
Kim Yong-Ok
Korean philosopher |
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Jean-Jacques Annaud
French film director
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Bob Shane
The Kingston Trio |
agnes b.
French designer |
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Michael Ondaatje
Canadian poet |
Jacques Mayol
French diver |
t.r.welch
American garden architect |
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There have been some people who returned
to see what they wrote many years ago. Sometimes
their children came and saw their parents'
writings.
Our guest-books are so famous in Japan,
because some writer wrote in a magazine about
them, and later NHK TV made a program on
them.
Isn't it wonderful that memories can
reunite family and friends? It is very heart-warming
to think of old friends. Reminiscence is
always sweet and healing. When we retire
from Yoyokaku, on an easy-chair, looking
at these notes, I will say,"Ha! I remember
this handsome gentleman." And my husband
will say,"I remember his beautiful wife."
I hope you will come to Yoyokaku someday
and leave a line in our treasure book.
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Thank
you,
, |
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| Mail to Harumi Okochi |
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