早川谷「寿」早川谷「寿」プロジェクトレター マービンさんより (KOTOBUKI Project) [No.29]

To my dear people of Itoigawa.

When you read this, I have already left Itoigawa and will be already working for my company in Switzerland again.

I will have met my family, which I really missed and have welcomed our newest family member, my niece Charlie, who was born two months ago. And we will have had a huge Party. Maybe I have also already met my Swiss friends again.

But then, there will be the times where I am at my apartment, in the evenings when I finished my work, said otsukaresamadeshita and good night to everyone, lying in bed and thinking back. And then, there will be tears. Because even know, whilst I am writing this, still in Itoigawa, in my room at Sasakura Onsen, the salty wet is running down my cheeks. But those tears are a present. A present from all you who I met during my time here in Itoigawa. Because it is only sad, when good things end.

In the beginning of my internship a very good friend presented me three Japanese sayings:

- ichigo ichie

- onko chishin

- setsugetsu fuuka

I tried to live every single day remembering those. And I regret nothing. It was the best time of my life. Being here always feels like being home. And there is nothing, absolutely nothing, more important to me then family and friends. The two things which are the definition of „home“ for me. And because of that I will consider the ending of my internship here as the beginning of something bigger. I will try to visit Itoigawa as often as I can and until I found a way to live here. I will continue to learn Japanese, so I can finally have the conversations with you, I wish I could have had the last five months. I want to apologize for being a burden to you and I want and have to thank you!

To the people of Itoigawa:

I have not been and will never be to a better place than Itoigawa. You folks of Itoigawa, the landscapes, the mountains, the sea, the lovely villages, the history and tradition, the food and of course the very best of all nihonshu in Japan.

Thank you for just being the best town with the best people of the world!

To Rolf Müller:

Thank you for showing me Itoigawa. Without you I wouldn’t even know about Itoigawa. The hidden jewel on this beautiful island, Japan. There is no person I liked more to work for. Otsukaresamadeshita! Mata yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

To the members of Sasakura Onsen... The people I have to cry again only by thinking about leaving you:
Thank you for having me. Not just for having me, also for growing to a family to me. Sasakura Onsen was my home for 5 months and it will ever feel like that. I am just looking forward to the day, when I enter the gates of Sasakura Onsen again and say: Tadaima!

It felt better living here, then living in my apartment in Zurich. Thank you for inviting me to gatherings, events, talking to me even it must been very exhausting, letting me work with you, caring about me. I will miss you so much!

This is no goodbye. We will meet again, and I wish you the very best!

Otsukaresamadeshita!

※以下、日本語ダイジェスト（原文省略版）

皆さんこんにちは
あなたがこれを読んだとき、私はすでに糸魚川を離れて、もうスイスの会社で働くことになっています。
私は私の家族に会うことになっていますが、それは本当に久しぶりの事ですし、2ヶ月前に生まれた私の新しい家族、姪チャーリーを歓迎することでしょう。そして、とてつもない大きなパーティーをするでしょう。
そしてその後、自分の部屋にいるときもあるだろうし、夕方に仕事を終えたときもあるだろうし、「オツカレサマデシタ」とみんなに言って、ベッドに横になって振り返ってみるのです。そして、そこには涙があるでしょう。なぜなら、私がこれを書いている間も、まだ糸魚川にいるにもかかわらず、笹倉温泉の私の部屋で、塩味のしずくが頬を伝っているからです。しかし、この涙はプレゼントです。糸魚川滞在中に会った皆さんからのプレゼントです。なぜなら、良いことが終わった時だけ悲しいからです。しかし、これは私のインターンシップが終わっただけです。私は、糸魚川をできるだけ頻繁に訪れ、ここに住む方法を見つけ、この日本の隠された宝石である糸魚川の役に立てるようになりたいと思っています。
笹倉温泉の皆様へ
私をお招きくださりありがとうございました。皆さんは私にとって家族のようになっています。笹倉温泉は5ヶ月の間、私のホームでした、そしてそれはいつまでもそう感じるでしょう。私は、また笹倉温泉の門に入って 「ただいま!」という日を本当に楽しみにしています。
チューリッヒの私のアパートに住んでいた時より、ここに住んでいた方が気分が良かったです。皆さん、私と話すのは本当に疲れたと思うのに、集まりやイベントに招待してくれて、私と話をしてくれて、一緒に仕事をしてくれて、私のことを気にかけてくれて、本当にありがとう。皆さんと会えなくなるのはとてもとても寂しいです！
またお会いしましょう。皆さんの最高の幸せを祈っています。
オツカレサマデス！