The funeral ended this afternoon.

   I went to the funeral hall before 9:00 a.m. In the funeral, two Buddhist priests chanted a sutra while incense was offered by the mourner one by one, and finally my name was called, and I concluded the offering of the incense. The funeral ended and after the priests left it was my turn to make a speech in place of the chief mouner and the bereaved family. In my speech, I laid stress on my sympathy for the parents who lost their son so young, and encouraging the younger brother and sister of the deceased. The funeral ended at 11:00 a.m., and the body of the deceased was carried to the cremetorium with the bereaved family. I returned home, and after having lunch, at around 2:00 p.m., I again went to the funeral hall to attend a Buddhist service in front of the ashes of the deceased laid on the decorated altar. I returned home a little before 4:00.

Mr.Keita Nakano's funeral.

  In the morning, I prepared the draft of the speech as the chief of the caretakers in the funeral. In the evening, at 4:45, Mr.Honda, an official of the neighborhood association, came by car to pick me up and went to Mihara Funeral Hall. Mr.Kikuta, another official of our association and several poeple from Nihon Tsuun Co., which the late Keita Nakano's father works for, had come to serve for care-takers and been waiting for us. We decided each one's task and got ready to receive the mourners.
  There were about 150 attendances, many of whom were young people, because the deceased who died of leukemia was so young as 21 years old, and so, many of his friends came.  

I was requested to serve as the chief of the care-takers of a neighbor's funeral.

   I am a vice-chairman of the neighborhood association, and so, I am often asked to servie as the chief care-taker of neighbor'd funerals. This morning, I received a call from Mr.Honda, an official of the association, being asked to work as the chief of a funeral.
   A young man named Mr.Keita Nakano died of biphenotypic acute leukemia (BAL) after having fought against for five years. He was a 21-year-old university student majoring in pharmacy.  The wake service will be held from 6:00 p.m. tomorrow evening, and the funeral will be held from 10:00 a.m. the day after tomorrow. I will have to thank all the attendants in both the wake and the funeral in place of the chief mourner of the bereaved family.

Ayako returned home just before noon.

   Just before noon, on returning home from Sapporo, Ayako went to Mrs.Azumi's for having her hair cut by a barber who comes once a month. I had to be at home before noon, because I had to receve some things Ayako had ordered from COOP were to be delivered before noon. After the deliverer came, I went to a supermarket to buy lunch for Ayako and me by car. The weather was not bad here, but in Sapporo, and in some regions along the coast of Japan Sea, TV reported that it was snowing heavily, causing traffic disturbances including the train and air services. Ayako was lucky she had left Sapporo before the storm came.  

It snowed. Shoveled snow for the first time this winter. Ayako went with our grandsons to Sapporo and would stay with them overnight today.

   When I walked in the morning, I found the ground covered with snow. The temperature was relatively warm,so the snow bearing water was very heavy to shovel out.
   In the afternoon, Ayako went to Sapporo by bus to send Tokio and Arashi back home. Chiaki called from Takikawa on the way back from Asahikawa, where she was on a business tour, saying she would get back to Sapporo by 4:00. Ayako would stay overnight at Chiaki's house, and return here to Tomakomai tomorrow noon.     

Succer - Consadole Sapporo won the final match, and decided to procced to J-1 the next season.

  The final matches of Japan succer league (J-league ) for 2011 season were played today, and in the 1st Division, Kashiwa Reysol defeated Urawa Red Diamonds by the score of 2-1, and became the champions. In the 2nd Division, FC Tokyo was in the 1st place, FC Tosu in the 2nd, and Consadole Sapporo was in the 3rd, and those three teams were decided to proceed to the 1st Division next season. I am glad that Sapporo defeated FC Tokyo in the final match and was qualified to play in the 1st Division next year for the first time in the past four seasons.

Chiaki drove her sons here and let them stay with us for two nights.

   It was the coldest day for this winter season all through the country. In many parts of Hokkaido, the lowest temperature was about 20 degrees below zero and it snowed much. But, here in Tomakomai, it was a fine day all day, and I took my usual walk as far as Kawazoe.
  In the evening, Chiaki drove her two sons here to let them stay with us for nights because she would have to Asahikawa on business tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, she she would have to go somewhere else. She returned to her house in Sapporo after having dinner. Then, I took a bath with my two grandsons.