January 2025, Shogatsu Yawame (Gentle)

In Kyoto, there’s a company called HORIBA (Horiba, Ltd.), which is well-known for its exhaust gas measurement equipment. Like many big companies, HORIBA creates and distributes its own corporate calendar every year. And let me tell you, their calendars are incredible.

If you’re curious, just look up their archive online—it’s worth a browse. Each year, they choose a theme like “birds” or “leaves,” and the calendar features one detailed illustration and a corresponding explanation for each of the 365 days. You can easily imagine how much effort goes into creating something like this. It’s the kind of attention to detail that makes me think, “Wow, this is the kind of company I’d want to support.”

Most corporate calendars handed out for free at the end of the year feel like afterthoughts—uninspired and dull. But HORIBA’s calendar? It’s in a league of its own, shining brighter than the rest.

There are still so many areas in the world that feel neglected or overlooked, spaces where people don’t see potential for anything interesting. But instead of dismissing those spaces as boring, why not take the opportunity to make them exciting? That’s the kind of attitude I really admire.

By the way, one of my former students sends me HORIBA’s calendar every year. For a while, I didn’t know their contact information, so I couldn’t thank them. Then I happened to notice a phone number in the sender’s section. I gave it a call and, to my surprise, it was a direct line to their department. We had a great chat, and they told me, “Actually, we sell about 300 copies every year.” But by late November, it was already sold out. Quality products don’t need heavy promotion—they naturally gain a following. People who know, know.

There’s something bittersweet about flipping through a fresh new calendar or writing your first note in a new planner—it feels like a moment of possibility, but before you know it, the year rushes by. It feels like I just had my birthday, and now it’s around the corner again.

As days pass and life piles on, it’s easy to lose sight of the core of who we are. But I want to live each day with a fresh perspective, always remembering what’s at the center. Here’s to starting anew with every moment.