I'll be honest with you - sometimes it's fun to be cheap. For example, this month's article serves two purposes. The first is the same as usual and the second is that this is my New Year's Card to all of you, my friends in Shiiba. My family and I wish everyone in Shiiba a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."

Samurai for a Day

I seem to be apologizing a lot these days for last month I told you that my three techniques to avoid running failed. This month I must report that the "Daihachiro avoidance technique" that I told you about last year also suffered a partial failure.

I was a samurai for a day during the Heike Matsuri. I had a lot of fun being a samurai and was very honored to have been asked to participate in such an important event. I will always remember being a samurai for a day. Thank You.

Shiiba and the Pasocon Jidai

This Winter, the Homepage that I wrote for Shiiba started to receive a lot of attention in Japan. My homepage was listed as a "cool homepage" in the December issue of Internet Magazine. On the 24th and 25th of November I went to a major Internet conference in Beppu. I was a part of the first session of the conference and told the audience that people around the world want to learn about the "Japanese heart" and that such is from inaka - not Tokyo or Osaka. I said these things in Japanese to an audience of 400 internet professionals. They agreed.

Once I find a scanner that I can use, I plan to make internet homepages for the Heike Matsuri and other things such as Shiiba's Kagura. People from around the world have expressed interest in learning more about Shiiba. With your help and guidance I'd like to continue.

Adventures in Shiiba - December 1995 by Erik Kassebaum

Adventures in Shiiba - December 1995
by
Erik Kassebaum