A Christmas Letter From Kazuko
Kazuko Muto was our exchange student from Japan.
She attended GHS in the early 1960's
and has been a lifelong friend of the family, especially Donna.
The following letter was sent to Donna, thanks for sharing!

December, 2016

Dear Friends,

  It’s already middle of December.  Time seems to go faster each year!

How have you been?  I hope everything is good for you all.

  Here in our family, luckily nobody got hurt or got sick this year. 

Atsuo planned high school reunion trips for spring and fall. 

In May friends from eastern and western parts got together in the middle of the archipelago, where there are a lot of high mountains called the Japan Alps.  We saw the old temple built about 360 years ago. 

The next day we went to Mt. Tateyama.  We took a cable car and an eco-bus to the height of about 2600 meters.  Usual cars are prohibited in the area to protect the environment where there are precious plants and animals.  There was still a lot of snow.  In order to make a way for the bus, the snow was piled up on both sides of the way, which made high snow walls as high as 12 meters.  We enjoyed walking along the snow corridor.  Then we took a trolley bus through the tunnel in the 3000 meter mountain, a ropeway and a cable car to see a big dam.  Then we got on a trolley bus again to get to the other side of the mountain.  We took a usual bus and a train to get to the hotel.

The last day of the trip we visited two museums and a park where we enjoyed walking in the woods guessing the names of the trees and flowers there.  

  In October, we again met in the similar place as in May.  This time the main purpose was to enjoy the autumn delicacy, Japanese matsutake mushrooms produced around here.  They are very expensive now because it is difficult to cultivate them.  Canadian matsutake mushrooms are also imported.  They are better than Korean and Chinese ones, but they don’t have enough fragrance as Japanese ones.  We enjoyed buckwheat noodle, too.  Buckwheat grows in the cold and rather dry area where it is difficult to grow rice, our staple diet.  Japan is a mountainous country without a lot of flat land good for growing rice.  Rice is greatly affected by severe weather, like cold weather, droughts, and typhoons.  We were a poor country.  It wasn’t until recently that most people can enjoy eating enough food.  Now we are worried about getting too fat, and buckwheat noodle is cherished with its taste and its low calorie.  What an irony!

We enjoyed autumn colors, too.  The maple leaves here are a lot smaller than the ones I saw in Canada.

  Atsuo is busy teaching how to play mahjong once or twice a week, and goes to a day care center for the elderly to help the members to enjoy playing mahjong. 

  This year marked the 40^th year since chorus festivals in our city started.  I was busy as a member of the organizing group.  Of course I was busy practicing singing. 

And so was our youngest son, Yutaka.  He didn’t sing but designed the flyer, the ticket and the program for the 40^th festival.  This work helped him get another designing work.  He got the job to design for the city culture festival.  He has been an independent editorial designer, but it is not easy to get jobs.  He may go into desk top publishing.

  I’ve climbed more than ten mountains this year with the climbing group.  I enjoy playing table tennis.  And I try to swim as often as possible, usually three or four times a week.  I practice singing in a choir and have three English classes to teach. 

  I’m happy our family members have been good in shape. 

I hope you are all happy and healthy. 

May all the people, especially children be healthy and happy all over the world!!