Today was Sunday, but I didn’t care what it was. I lost the sense of date since I came back from biking, and quit working. What gives you the sense of it is work or school. If you don’t do either of them, you cannot tell what’s today. Anyway, I remember that today was Sunday, because I had an appointment to see my friends at another friend’s curry restaurant. And my friends had decent work; they weren’t available except today. That’s why I didn’t forget it. My friends asked me to come over to the restaurant to have lunch together. One guy even came over from Tochigi prefecture which is located far from Tokyo in north direction; another prefecture lies between Tokyo and that prefecture. I had a really good time. We stayed at the restaurant for four hours. What annoying customers we were!! But we spent a sum of money there, the owner might be happy, though.

In comparison with usual Sunday, the city wasn’t too busy. It’s probably we are in the time of Bon—when we Japanese visit ancestors grave—so that many people are out of Tokyo or stay home.

When I was a kid, there was no store which was open during Bon (Bon is from around August tenth to fifteenth). I was impatient with candy shops no being open. I had an ordinary appetite in candy like most kids did. But nowadays you find a difficulty to find a shop closed during Bon. The old custom, stereotype that store should shut the shutter down is gone and they wanted to make more money. Or just small mom and pop stores are ruined by big companies. I guess the latter idea is true. Before I can’t find a shop opened during Bon, can’t find small shop which is like I used to go to. One shop close to my home was winded up. For one thing the owners—they are couple—aged, and could keep running the shop anymore. Another thing their kids are out of the house and not likely to take over the business.

Handing down fortune, business, land to one’s offspring is nothing easy. Inheriting fortune and land is better than business; as long as you prepare for being involved in some troubles among your siblings when your daddy dies. With regard to taking over business is different story. It does not mean you can automatically make money when you succeed to it from you father, since you need to get certain experience or something to run it smoothly. And what can you do if your daddy’s business is something you don’t take to. That’s why I regard taking over a business is difficult.

When I come back home, I will seek for mom and pop shop.