There is an old Japanese film called Table Tennis Hot Spring, released in 1998.
When I first saw the TV commercial, I remember thinking, “One day, I’d love to stay at that inn.”
I can’t remember exactly when we finally visited, but it must have been more than twenty years ago.
Today, many people say the inn has been beautifully restored. Back then, however, it was quite different. The building was old, the facilities were worn, and honestly, it felt a little uncertain to spend the night there.
But that was exactly what attracted us.
Looking back now, I’m grateful we were able to experience it before everything changed.
Even today, Mama—the hostess of our little snack bar, Chiduru—and I sometimes watch Table Tennis Hot Spring together.
We smile, remember that trip, and say,
“Do you remember this?”
“Yes… that really happened.”
Those conversations have become part of our memories, too.
At that time, we loved traveling.
We visited many places across Japan, including Kagoshima.
These days we don’t travel as often.
Not because we don’t want to, but because life has changed.
Many of our customers at our daytime karaoke salon often tell us,
“Go while you still can.”
Every time I hear those words, I quietly think,
“I’m glad we did.”
As I remember that journey, I realize something.
What I miss is not the building.
Not the hot spring.
Not even the beautiful scenery.
What I truly miss is who I was with and the time we shared together.
When I think back on that trip, I don’t remember the meals or the room.
I remember the conversations.
The laughter.
The quiet moments we shared.
Recently, my happiness has become surprisingly simple.
Mama makes a small homemade lunch for me.
Sometimes the rice balls become slightly squashed inside the lunch box.
To someone else, it may look ordinary.
To me, it reminds me of the lunches my grandmother made when I was a little boy.
It is not nostalgia.
It is something deeper.
It reminds me where my heart feels at home.
Life has become much more comfortable than it was back then.
But have our hearts become richer, too?
When I ask myself that question, my answer is different.
The things that truly make me happy are not expensive.
They are handmade.
Quiet.
Simple.
And made by someone who cares about me.
That feeling can never be bought at a convenience store.
Perhaps that is why we started our Adult Excursions at Chiduru.
They are not sightseeing tours.
They are small journeys for just one or two people.
Homemade lunches.
Unhurried conversations.
Simple moments that feel almost like spending time with family.
I hope that someday, someone who joins us will look back years later and remember those moments—not because they were luxurious, but because they were warm.
Sometimes, the memories that stay with us are the simplest ones.
Perhaps visitors from overseas, too, might find a small moment here that stays in their hearts for many years.
If they do, that would make us very happy.😊
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