Echizen Washi

I've been teaching English for more than ten years since I was asked by a parent. She knew I was a very unique person. My teaching started with only one student at first.

One day one student told me he was so much worried about his after retirement, though he even hadn't worked yet for his age 13, whether he could safely get his pension well enough or not. Then the other student told me his path toward the future was just in the darkness, no dreams, and no hopes. So I started trying to meet as many younger generations as possible through teaching to encourage them to move on. Some students say after meeting me they feel life is worth living.

Then recently one female student came to visit me. She graduated her Jr high a year ago, so I hadn't met her for a long time. She asked me to check her writings in Japanese. Surprised..... it was about Echizen Washi and of course she also wrote about me.

" I once had an English teacher who was also a papermaking artisan. She was trying very hard to promote Echizen Washi to abroad. One time she said to us, ` It's a pitty that people in the world don't call Japanese paper WASHI, but rice paper or Japanese paper. I hope you all also will be more interested in WASHI. '.  Then I started thinking what I can do to support Echizen Washi. ...........'

My tears came off from my eyes while I was reading it in front of her. Some people once said to me they felt jealous to see me teaching English to earn good money. But my main purpose was not there, and I was very impressed with my students feeling that.

Most of the time it seems that it's me who is encouraged by them.