Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank all of you for coming to Kochi and Myokokuji to offer incense for Yoko. Yoko's short life ended the 31st of January Heisei 16. Before today we already had the wake in Yoko's study, the memorial in Yoko's Kitchen and the funeral in Palo Alto, so we have a good perspective of people's understanding of Yoko and we can be very brief.
I appreciate the significance of the Nonaka family here in Kochi, as well as the Nishizawa family and the Tanaka family. I am very honored to be allowed here today and I thank you for your magnanimous generosity.
Yoko was a deign heir of her lineage, for which I thank o-kâsan and Setsuko-san. Yoko was very daring and courageous, moving from Nishinomyia-shi to Kochi-shi, then to Kyoto, Itami, London, and finally San Francisco. Yoko was also a very sensitive person and was of extraordinary intelligence. From the previous functions we know people enjoyed Yoko's sensitivity and empathy — she was generally appreciated as a happy and always friendly person.
Unfortunately, her intelligence was less well appreciated. People vaguely appreciated her eloquence, but few appreciated the effort behind it: reading the Asahi Shinbun and New York Times every day, actively participating in a reading group, and constantly going to school. It was not enough for Yoko to go to school in London, she also got a degree in information sciences from Foothill College in Silicon Valley and later a logistics degree. Additionally, she continuosly took numerous classes in languages, painting, sketching, gastronomy…, and was an active member of the Cantor Art Center at Stanford.
This was part of her quest for shibui or sober refinement. The most visible testimony had been her last big project, the kitchen in Palo Alto. But also her body had been a mirror of this effort as she had become more and more beautiful. Both her kitchen and her persona epitomized sabi or elegant simplicity, which transcended Japanese customs by tastefully blending in the experiences of Yoko's extended travels.
Yoko's second quest was to be active in her environment by finding the positive and reinforcing it by fostering super-additivity. She often used the word sakimidereru to describe this synergy goal. People appreciated the results of this quest, although for the most part they were not able to see beyond Yoko's smile.
Yoko was ready to enjoy the fruits of her labour and for the last six years had been waiting for her child to finish school so she could enjoy and further her accomplishments in retirement from the office, as a professional artist. Unfortunately, Yoko contracted a little known and very rare disease. Yoko spent her last three month in an agony through which only her strong stoic character could carry her. I am deeply grateful to her sisters Yoshiko and Kumiko, as well as their husbands and Hiroki for going to Palo Alto and making Yoko's agony bearable and guiding her towards serenity. Their contribution of love cannot be explained in words.
According to Yoko's Japanese death register, her death was an atrocious event that lasted for 288 minutes. I would like you to have the shojin-meal to celebrate Yoko's life and reflect on her contributions to her families and to the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to propose a toast for Yoko's life and aspirations. Cheers — Kanpai — Cincin.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank all of you for coming to Kochi and Myokokuji to offer incense for Yoko. Yoko's short life ended the 31st of January Heisei 16. I appreciate the significance of the Nonaka family here in Kochi, as well as the Nishizawa family and the Tanaka family. I am very honored to be allowed here today and I thank you for your magnanimous generosity.
Yoko was a deign heir of her lineage, for which I thank o-kâsan and Setsuko-san. Yoko was very daring and courageous, moving from Nishinomyia-shi to Kochi-shi, then to Kyoto, Itami, London, and finally San Francisco. Yoko was also a very sensitive person and was of extraordinary intelligence.
Yoko was ready to enjoy the fruits of her labour and for the last six years had been waiting for her child to finish school so she could enjoy and further her accomplishments in retirement from the office, as a professional artist. I am deeply grateful to her sisters Yoshiko and Kumiko, as well as their husbands and Hiroki for going to Palo Alto and making Yoko's agony bearable and guiding her towards serenity. Their contribution of love cannot be explained in words.
I would like you to have the shojin-meal to celebrate Yoko's life. Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to propose a toast for Yoko's life and aspirations. Cheers — Kanpai — Cincin.
It's about time to break up this ceremony. Thank you again for coming here today and honoring Yoko-sama. The reflections we had during this meal help us appreciate Yoko's contributions and I hope this is just the beginning of a discussion and an introspection to fully appreciate Yoko. Thank you very much. Good Bye — Sayonara — Arrivederci.