The morning's "Multi-disciplinary Collaboration Meeting" was attended by myself, the director of Wagou's facility, the deputy director who also handles care management duties, two department heads in charge of the nursing care site, the administrative manager, a nurse, a registered dietitian, and a physical therapist.

The topics covered at this meeting are wide-ranging, and depending on the topic, it is a place where people can express their thoughts from their own perspectives.

There is a general meeting held once a month to ensure that all staff understand the decisions made at this meeting, but recently there has been a trend of lower attendance, so I spoke to the staff who attended about the significance of the general meeting and gave thorough instructions to staff on each floor.

In addition, regarding the issue of the significance of the article "Today's Yu-Yu-Mura Harmony" on the website and how to post it, we believe that we need to provide more thorough guidance than just about the article itself on how to respond to the statement that "we are having trouble getting foreigners to understand."

The meeting, which started at 10:00, ended at 12:10, and since there was also a final board meeting starting at 15:00, I hurried to the head office facility, had bread and rice balls for lunch, and had a meeting with Deputy Facility Director Goji, who is also in charge of corporate affairs, and was giving instructions on new documents when the corporate director and tax accountant who handles our accounting came in and explained the income and expenditure situation for the first half of the year.

Naturally, the financial situation at the Yu-Yu-Mura Nagomi Nursing Home for the Blind and the Erika no Sato Day Service Center at our headquarters is tough, and we feel it is important to clearly explain that we are in discussions with Gifu Prefecture and Sekigahara Town regarding future developments.

Despite the difficult situation in the nursing care industry, both the headquarters facility and the Wago facility have been able to increase their occupancy rates, and we would like to provide a clear explanation so that the board members can understand that we are able to do our best.

Every year, enka singer Teiji Yamazaki comes to our Christmas party (this year, December 23rd at 10am at Nagomi, 1:30pm at the headquarters, and December 24th at 2pm at Wago). When he first came to our facility about 20 years ago, I thought, "He's 180cm tall, with a self-described 90cm inseam, slim, and a 'good-looking guy,' but he's not a very good singer, and his conversation is simple and unremarkable." However, when he won the Karaoke Grand Prix Newcomer Show in 2014 with "Showa Otoko Uta," I thought, "He's gotten better at both singing and speaking." So perhaps this proves that "there's no substitute for experience."

As I was thinking about this, it suddenly occurred to me that "professional singers sing their own songs, so they sing the same songs dozens or even hundreds of times day after day, so it's only natural that they'd improve by focusing on their own songs." Speaking of which, when new singers debut, I often wonder if they'll be good enough, but after a few months, they've gotten better. However, it's also true that there are viewers who are convinced that they're "fresh" when they're still bad.

Now, let me share a bit of my own self-praise. About 30 years ago, when I was PTA president, I remember singing on the bus at a PTA boarding party and being told, "You're a great singer, President," and I remember thinking, "You're a great singer, President," and getting excited. Then, when I was 44, the main facility building was completed, and I occasionally sang in front of the residents and users, and they told me, "You're a great singer, President," and I was happy. But back then, I only sang about once a month, so I don't think I improved much. However, after two years and three months as director of the Wago facility, I started visiting shrines in the mornings and holding karaoke sessions in the afternoons whenever I had time. I started singing with confidence, especially in the low notes, which I'd struggled with before. I can now belt out Aki Yashiro's "Funauta" and Sayuri Ishikawa's "Amagigoe," and I believe I can sing better than Saburo Kitajima today. (Although it's no good trying to compete with people over 80 years old.) The bottom line is that if you work hard and do something repeatedly, you'll eventually be able to do it.

Yesterday afternoon, I was able to participate in a nursing care personnel matching event held on the second floor of the Gifu Prefectural Welfare Hall. The matching organization conducted a remote matchmaking session with two organizations from Indonesia and Nepal that will be bringing nursing care workers to Japan after obtaining specific skills certification. Led by Nishikawa, chairman of the Gifu Prefectural Association of Elderly Care Facilities' Human Resources and Training Committee, who was primarily responsible for planning the event, we first connected with an organization in Nepal and conducted a remote exchange with five people currently undergoing training there. Watching them on a large screen, they tried their best to respond in Japanese, the fruit of six months of training, I honestly wondered, "I wonder if young Japanese people today can respond with such a sparkle in their eyes?"

The Nepalese organization seemed a little slow, perhaps because they weren't used to this kind of interaction, but the five trainees were very hard-working. Next, we were matched with an Indonesian organization. The local person in charge was a Japanese woman with a proven track record in Japan, so her explanations were easy to understand, and the four trainees were all graduates of nursing schools in Indonesia, so their Japanese was accurate and their desire to "do their best in Japan" was clearly conveyed.

This was the first time that an event like this had been held, and I would like to express my gratitude to the Gifu Prefecture Elderly Welfare Division for supporting this opportunity. Just before the event ended, they brought over the manuscript from a recent interview in Gifu Kogyo for a special feature on Caregiving Day, and I was able to take a look at it. In addition to the article about me being interviewed, I also found an article about an Indonesian staff member at Wago who came to Japan 15 years ago as an EPA care worker candidate, and I thought to myself, "This was a great way to highlight the excellent work that I am doing as a staff member at Wago, and I think it may have been a proposal for the future of caregiving facilities."

I am looking forward to seeing the response when it is published in the Gifu Shimbun newspaper on November 11th, which is Caregiving Day.

November 7, 2020

This project is aimed at businesses with concerns or questions about what kind of education foreign caregivers receive and what kind of lifestyle they lead. The project is commissioned by Gifu Prefecture and is run by the Gifu Prefecture Association of Elderly Care Facilities and the Gifu Prefecture Association of Elderly Health Care Facilities. The target countries are Nepalese and Indonesian workers. Our organization has experience accepting workers from both countries (we also accept workers from Vietnam, Myanmar, and India). We participate in the project with the hope of creating new connections with registered organizations if we are able to meet with talented candidates. Since matching programs are primarily aimed at businesses looking to recruit foreign caregivers, it may not seem necessary for organizations with a proven track record like ours, but we hope to find talented candidates.

However, I think Gifu Prefecture's approach to the commissioned project needs to change from "for corporations newly introducing foreign care workers" to "a project to improve the skills of businesses already accepting foreign care workers." This is because, even when I checked the list of participating facilities, most of them had a track record of introducing foreign care workers. For example, I think it is necessary to update the project by sharing the problems they have encountered when introducing foreign care workers and listening to stories of successful cases, or by inviting instructors who can train foreign care workers to provide training.

There is no need to listen to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's response in the Diet to understand that foreign care workers are indispensable to the current nursing care business. This is evident from the fact that even at Chubu Gakuin University, a local nursing care training school, there are more international students than Japanese students. There are also some excellent foreign care workers, and in our organization, there are even floor managers. I believe that nursing care is about kindness and hard work.

November 6, 2020

I believe that one of the most important things in the nursing care business is "securing staff and improving their qualifications." When a staff member first joined the company, I wondered if they would be okay, but after three years, I thought, "They've finally become pretty good," and when I handed that staff member their "10-year award," I thought to myself, "They've definitely become more reliable over the past 10 years."

At first, he acted noticeably unsure and repeatedly said, "I can't do it, so please let me quit." Each time, I listened to what the staff member had to say, and sometimes I would say, "I need to listen carefully," and invite him out to dinner. Even when I offered him drinks, his expression remained stiff and he didn't eat or drink well. However, I used the words "modesty is third-rate," a catchphrase and teaching of my mentor in the nursing care business, Dr. Hirohiko Nakamura, former chairman of the National Association of Elderly Care Homes and member of the House of Councilors, and gradually his expression improved, the meal and drinks continued, he gradually began to speak, and the next day he was lively and working hard. It makes me happy as if it were my own achievement to see this staff member, who has now become truly reliable.

Also, when I hear comments made during meetings, I sometimes smile wryly and think, "Come on, isn't that the way of thinking I inherited?", but at the same time I feel happy. To be honest, I think it's nice to see the staff members I've literally nurtured with love working hard, even after all the things they've been through. When I was sharing a drink with my father, Susumu, in his later years, he said, "That kid was a bit naughty and a pain to deal with, but he's grown up to be a really fine person," and I thought, "Is that so?", but now I can honestly understand what he was saying. I think that means I still have my father's educator blood flowing through me.

I want the staff at the elderly care facility I run to be knowledgeable about dementia, but also able to understand the feelings of others. To this end, I want to encourage them to participate in training sessions and obtain qualifications, and I also want to provide strong support for the growth of my staff.

Today I was wearing a long-sleeved polo shirt, and when I left the house I threw on a thin jumper. "Come to think of it, until recently I only needed short sleeves," I thought, and then I thought, "Winter has come suddenly from summer, and autumn has disappeared." If this were to become a yearly occurrence, I thought, "If we no longer need spring or fall clothes, it would be difficult for clothing manufacturers and retailers to adapt." I also thought, "If we no longer need air conditioning, will we have to switch on heating immediately?"

In fact, when I entered the conference room on the second floor of Sekigahara Clinic to discuss the future development of the day care service starting at 9am today, I was surprised to hear that the heating was on. To be honest, as someone who runs a facility, I seriously think that if spring and autumn were longer, people would be able to live comfortably without air conditioning, which would save money.

I don't know how much snow there will be this winter, but yesterday I jokingly asked the vice-chairman of the Hida branch (Hida Furukawa), who attended the standing board meeting of the Gifu Prefecture Association of Elderly Care Facilities, "Is it snowing?" to which he replied seriously, "It's piled up white on the high mountains." I thought, "Come on, are you serious?" It's tough to suddenly have to prepare for winter when you've been saying "It's hot, it's hot," but I'll do my best.

Speaking of snow, when we were first building the main building of our headquarters facility, on December 1st, 1997, before the roof was even finished, 40cm of snow suddenly fell. It remains a vivid memory to this day. I hope that we never have to go through a situation like that again. To all our repeat visitors, the sudden cold weather can be hard on the body, so please take care of your health.

November 4, 2020

Today, I was to meet up with Professor Nishikawa in the parking lot of the Gifu Prefectural Welfare Hall at 9:30 and get a ride in his car to attend the 10am meeting on "Friendly Organization Requests" at the Gifu Prefectural LDP branch. However, I decided to leave home early as I expected there would be traffic jams once we left Ogaki city, so I left home at 8am, even though it would normally take me 50 minutes. Once we left Ogaki, I was surprised to see that my estimated arrival time had suddenly changed from just before 9am to 9:45am, and I panicked, thinking, "I thought I left early, but I won't make it on time for our appointment."

In the end, I arrived at 9:20, so I thought, "Thank goodness I got there earlier than Professor Nishikawa." However, I thought, "The traffic east of Ogaki is insane." I don't think there are any large factories east of Ogaki, so I thought, "Is this traffic congestion caused by the Gifu Prefectural Government employees arriving for work?" and I wondered again how many prefectural government employees there are. By the way, the secretary-general of the Gifu Prefectural Elderly Care Association is a former prefectural government employee, and I heard from his many years of experience that he arrives at the office by 7:30. I have never experienced traffic congestion on my way to work, so I think, "I'm able to work efficiently."

Specifically, when I worked at a child welfare facility, I started work after 10:00 and left work around 11:00 PM. During the summer vacation, I wanted to do radio calisthenics with the children starting at 6:30 AM, so I started work after 6:00 AM and left work around 7:00 PM, so I never got caught in traffic, and even now I rarely drive during times of heavy traffic. However, since I drive every day, which means I cover 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers a month, I try to drive safely. To be honest, traffic jams are a source of stress for me. So right now (5:45 PM) I'm typing this column at the headquarters facility, and I'm tired because I got stuck in traffic.

As usual, I set out for prayer just after 5:30 AM. It was cloudy, but it wasn't raining, so I headed out without an umbrella. After my usual hug-and-pray at the Jizo of Happiness, I passed through two tunnels and entered the main hall of Myooji Temple to chant sutras. I could hear the sound of rushing water trickling through the gutters. While I was chanting, I heard my mother, Akie's, voice in my ear. She said, "Hiroshi's body gets weak when he gets wet in the rain, so cover his head with the towel you've wrapped around your neck. After you've finished praying at the main hall, go home and take a bath to warm yourself up." So, after I finished praying, I went to Imasu Inari Shrine (where the seated Yakushi Nyorai statue is enshrined) next to the main hall, which has a roof over its roof, so I prayed there, covered my face with a towel, and headed home as fast as I could.

It was raining really hard on the way home, so I thought, "That's just like Mom." My mother, Akie, passed away when I was in the first year of junior high school, so it's been 59 years since she passed away, and I thought, "I'm already 72 years old, but to Mother Akie, I'm still a precious child who she worries about." So, as Mother Akie had instructed, I went home and went straight to the bath, made sure to warm myself up, and then recited the Shoshinge more carefully than usual at the Buddhist altar, and once again said, "Thank you, Mom. Please keep watching over me forever."

I believe that not only my mother Akie, but also my father Susumu and sister Mitsuko are watching me from heaven. I'm sure all three of them are proud of how hard I'm working, so hearing my mother Akie's voice today made me realize once again that I want to repay my mother Akie, father Susumu, and sister Mitsuko for all they've done for me, something I wasn't able to do, by contributing to the safety and security of the local community.

My daily routine basically starts with my alarm going off at 5:25am, and I put one 1-yen, one 5-yen, and one 50-yen coin as an offering and five 10-yen coins in the left side of my tracksuit pants, pocket tissues and the front door key in the right, my kongo staff in my right hand, the rosary of Daishi and Kobo around my neck, a plastic bottle of tap water from my house on my back, and head out to my family grave.

I get back home in about an hour, take a morning bath to freshen up, have breakfast, lie down for a bit, then go to the Wago facility, in my case today, pray on the second floor from 10:30, have karaoke on the third floor from 1:30 after lunch, and then move to the headquarters facility to handle my work there, but when I think about it, today is the middle day of a three-day weekend. I wonder if the general public is relaxing, or if they are enjoying ``leaf viewing'' as the autumn leaves are now in their beautiful colors.

I don't envy the lifestyle of the general public.

However, our organization's staff work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so broadly speaking, we are "working day and night for the safety and security of Japan," and we would like to see our social recognition increase a little more.

There is also one more thing I would like you to understand in order to improve my rating.

This report was based on a report from a registered dietitian who recently participated in a training session held by the Nutritionists and Cooks Division of the Gifu Prefecture Association of Elderly Care Facilities, Seino Branch.

Specifically, many people said that "due to rising prices, fish and meat dishes are decreasing and egg and tofu dishes are increasing, lowering the ranking of rice."

In order to increase the satisfaction of our facility residents, the "Halloween Event" held at the headquarters facility on October 28th and 31st was important, but we believe that the most important thing is satisfaction with the three meals a day.

It is true that "management is the primary premise of our operations," so we cannot allow ourselves to be in a situation where we are "unable to manage," but I believe that it is unacceptable to lower tenant satisfaction through easygoing efforts.

I believe that we must campaign to gain the understanding of the public and get members of parliament to change the system.

Is it a luxury for residents of a facility to eat meat and fish?

Dear repeat customers, this is never the case.

It's something that's important as you get older.

I practiced singing and dancing to "Pumpkin Cha Cha Cha" after an early lunch in the conference/training room on the first floor, and after three practice sessions I managed to get it right, so as the start was scheduled for 13:50, I went to the venue on the third floor at 13:30, changed in the interview room, took a commemorative photo with the four female staff members who helped liven up my singing, and then got fully into gear. Then the intro to "Pumpkin Cha Cha Cha" started playing before the opening, and I sang, but the results of my three practice sessions didn't come through and I was struggling a bit, but the residents didn't seem to mind and enjoyed the song, which made me happy. However, the transformation fashion was just too hot...

After singing, we gave opening remarks to express our relief from the heat, followed by performances from each floor.The performances from each floor were far more impressive than last year, and it was wonderful to see that the events were planned in collaboration with the residents.

After all the performances on each floor were finished, we moved on to the "Chairman's Song Show." I dressed up in a red three-piece suit and borrowed Director Kitajima's prized hat to sing Pinky and the Killers' "Koi no Kisetsu" (Season of Love). Next, I gave a passionate performance of Ishikawa Sayuri's "Amagigoe" (Going Over Amagi), then (can I say it myself...?) changed my jacket from red to green and sang Sakamoto Kyu's "Ue o Muite Arukou" (Sukiyaki). For the final song, I said, "Halloween is a Western festival, but since we're in Japan, I'll sing Kitajima Saburo's "Matsuri" (Festival)," and gave another passionate performance, bringing Halloween at Wagou's facility to a successful close.

My impression was that it was a wonderful event that conveyed the staff's passion for Halloween. So, I'm happy that we were able to have another "fun day today."