.  .  .  I started reading Rousseau a few days ago. Its translation is very well done, so I am devouring it. I read yesterday, that Rousseau apparently liked eating while reading. I couldn’t help smiling given my own rather voracious appetite. It was wonderfully reassuring to know I had such an influential ally.  A cozy room blessed with quiet autumn sunlight, a desk with my favorite books, good tea, a couple of sliced pastries, and a few quiet hours… I hope the significance of these cherished moments forever remain irreplaceable.

Want to read “A Personal Letter,” by Yaeko Nogami 「私信」『野上弥生子随筆集』竹西寛子編? Grab this book  in Japanese at Amazon.com

.  .  .  I’ve always thought a remarkably cultured person is one who has similar qualities to those of a great educator, and never felt more strongly, that the growth and decay of a country’s culture, cannot be separated from its education. A great educator, I think, is not a person who imposes upon us a particular system or idea, but who encourages each individual to strive to better themselves. Possessing an abundance of knowledge, and sharing it on the page shouldn’t bruise a reader’s ego, but instead, directly or indirectly, stimulate their desire to be better. Yaeko’s essays promote that effect, and are in that sense, very valuable to the country’s culture.

She was a writer, but didn’t only cling to writing novels.  .  .  .  

Hiroko Takenishi’s Afterword from the same book 「解説」『野上弥生子随筆集』竹西寛子編