On July 1, thanks to an introduction by Mr. Horikoshi, who runs a real estate business in Yaesu, we visited the office of Mr. Makino at Amiu Co., Ltd. in Akasaka.

Mr. Makino runs a company that produces cosmetics and health foods utilizing fucoidan extracted from Amami mozuku, and he also serves as the Satsuma Ambassador for tourism in Kagoshima Prefecture.

He was also a remarkable individual who, in order to prevent the works of Ichimura Tanaka from Amami Oshima from leaving the country, purchased nearly 80 pieces at his own expense and donated about 70 of them to the Amami Oshima Art Museum, thereby laying the foundation for what is now the Isson Tanaka Art Museum.

Today, We had the privilege of viewing the original painting *Sparrow* by Tanaka Isson, which is owned by Mr. Makino.

Amami Oshima is practically Shiozawa’s second home—he loves it so much that he has visited countless times and knows it inside and out.

On this day, he and Mr. Makino shared all sorts of stories about Amami and had a great time.

After that, Mr. Makino invited us to the Meiji Memorial Hall, and we headed there in Mr. Horikoshi’s Tesla.

In the garden of the Meiji Memorial Hall stands “Sazare-ishi,” an auspicious natural monument said to be a stone inhabited by a deity, which evokes a sense of history.

While enjoying the sushi we were treated to, we got really excited talking about Shiozawa’s mystical experience. 

Mr. Makino’s mystical experience was also quite memorable.

While he was staying in Hong Kong on business, he contracted food poisoning from some red clams he ate, developed a high fever, was rushed to the hospital, and fell into a coma. A celestial maiden appeared behind him and asked, “Where do you want to go?” Before his eyes lay a vast expanse of beautiful flowers stretching into the distance. “I want to go there,” he said, and just as the celestial maiden pushed his shoulders from behind and he fell into the flower field, he woke up to find himself in a hospital bed, with staff members looking at him with concern.  It is said that after that experience of teetering on the brink of death, Mr. Makino began reciting sutras every single day without fail for the past 25 years.

Every person is born with a purpose. We don’t die easily.

Let’s never fail to engage in daily dialogue and prayer with our higher selves, and live our lives to the fullest right up until the very moment of death to fulfill our purpose! It was a precious story that made us feel exactly that.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Makino and Mr.Horikoshi.