Canon's Diary

On the early morning of the last Monday in March, I forced my exhausted body awake after last night’s practice and began preparing for my trip to Osaka. My room was in utter chaos, filled with packed boxes and containers in preparation for my move—far from being tidy.

Tomorrow morning, I have to report to the Osaka headquarters for a new department’s kickoff meeting at the start of the fiscal year. Though it’s almost April, the morning air is still a bit chilly. However, with a sweater under my suit and a scarf around my neck, I won’t need a coat.

The cherry blossoms along the Onda River, which were only about 50% bloomed the day before yesterday, had progressed to nearly 80% in bloom due to yesterday’s warm temperatures. While they hadn’t reached full bloom yet, the forecast indicated unstable weather next weekend, so I took my parents to see them during the warm midday hours yesterday. We had to take breaks while walking, but my father’s steps were steadier than I had expected. Last year, he had been hospitalized, and I could only show him photos of the blossoms, so I felt relieved to finally bring him there in person this year.

Surprisingly for this season, there were empty seats on the Nozomi bound for Shin-Osaka, and I was able to reserve an aisle seat in a row of three. When my boss asked about my schedule, I told him that I would be staying in Osaka at least through this week. Starting today, I’ll take my time aligning the tasks of my department with the new team.