Japanese

September 21, 2000: Visit to Kumamoto City
	Today, I will go to Kumamoto City to see the Life Exhibition sponsored by Group of Friends Kumamoto Branch. Early in the morning, I took a local train to Oita and joined three friends to go with. Then we changed to an express bus to Kumamoto.
While we were chatting pleasantly, the bus entered Kumamoto prefecture crossing the outer rim of volcano Aso. The rice fields are waiting for harvest in the golden wave.
	The Exhibition is held here Tsuruya department store. After taking lunch, we visited the site on the seventh floor. On the wall in the entrance is a large panel that reads "Life Exhibition in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of National Group of Friends - The Design of Richness."
The first section of the fine hall is National Group of Friends corner. The Founder Mrs. Motoko Hani and her husband are introduced on the panel together with information on Females' Friend Publisher. Following panels are the introduction of Kumamoto Branch and Kids Life Group.
	Next to the panels is a children corner with Tatami mats on the floor. Children are cared with handmade toys by the members of Kumamoto Branch.
Those panels illustrate the time research of the housewives more than 17,000 nation-wide. Individual samples are displayed for free viewing.
	This is "Young generation: Growing parents and children together." The panels put questions and think together with the visitors about "What is family?" or "Do you take meal with your families?" Some samples of snacks are displayed as well. Young mothers with kids are watching them eagerly.
"Manhood, the time of fulfillment" corner are many panels including "One day of Mr. K who has families at puberty communicates each other through the lunchboxes." Actual display corner are dishes for a day for kids, young housewives, and senior generation. Mr. Tanaka (left) and I look through the Exhibition eagerly.
"Senior corner, richness in heart." There are many panels as well such as "Sole living", "Senior home living", "Enjoy your meals for healthy life", "Care for and to be cared" It was very impressive to see the elderly who read the panels quietly and without haste.
	At 2:50 p.m., a mini-course started. Each branch of Kyushu block joined a "Kitchen-based exchange with Bangladesh" sponsored by National Group of Friends. This triggered the study of recipe using beans. The course introduces dishes of boiled bean and cookies. They sound very good and I felt to try it soon in home.
This is the "Kitchen-based exchange with Bangladesh" corner. Many pictures and products by Bangladesh female attracted many visitors.
	The lovely corner displays a lot of pretty stuffed dolls, handmade toys, and Christmas goods. The Branch members carefully made all of them. On the environment corner are many panels of "How we practiced our Eco-life campaign."
After looking through the huge hall, we sat on the tea corner, a very nice resting place. On the back of the tea corner, they sell homemade cookies produced in Production department of Kumamoto Branch and fried dough cookies made in cooperation with Branches in Kyushu block.
	More than three hours passed before we knew. We left the site and took a return bus to Oita. Famous Suizenji Park and Kumamoto Castle passed the window quickly. The Kumamoto Life Exhibition opens until September 25.