I had never been to the famous Rokkaku-dō (六角堂), because it's in the central business district of Kyōto where I rarely go. But after I met the Imperial family member in charge of it and the Ikenobō (池坊) national flower arrangement organization, I decided to go. The Rokkaku-dō building was in such a small and crowded but charming courtyard that it was difficult to get a photo of it. After seeing the large Ikenobō building, I thought why not try to thank Ikenobō Yasuko-sama for the elegant calendar she had given me at a concert. A smile, polite attitude, and fluent Japanese got me through the guard, building receptionist, and to her secretary, but she was away in Tōkyō. I declined the offer to leave my calling card, because it was a small thing to bother them all with. I left with everyone on friendly terms.
Publications as a longtime professor in Japan: https://japanned.hcommons.org
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