On July 8, we were invited by Mr. Kimura, Chairman of Higashiyamado—a company that sells kendo equipment—to a dinner with Aikido Master Nishiyama. The dinner party was held at “Yon-dai-me Unagi Kikukawa” in Gion.

It’s been a really long time since we last saw Chairman Kimura, and it’s been a year since we last saw Master Nishiyama.

Master Nishiyama is someone who can sense human energy; when he shakes hands with someone, he can perceive their stress and physical ailments and possesses the power—much like that of a shaman—to dispel them.

It seems that both Chairman Kimura and Master Nishiyama were samurai in a past life, and it is said that in this life, they are both atoning for the sins of those samurai. However, they both seem to be incredibly lucky, as if they were being protected by powerful spirits.

The food was wonderful. Not only were the eel’s grilling and sauce absolutely exquisite, but we were also thrilled that each of us got a whole eel.

We had a lively and meaningful time sharing spiritual stories with everyone.

Thank you to Chairman Kimura, Master Nishiyama and his wife, and everyone else.