Word 013
Yesterday, I was waiting on the platform at Yamato-Saidaiji Station, on my way to visit one of Nara's hidden gems.
A limited express from the Osaka direction pulled in and stopped right in front of us. Through the window, I spotted a small boy — a young traveler, likely from Europe — seated by the glass, taking in the passing scenery of Osaka and Nara with bright, curious eyes.
Our eyes met. I smiled at him. My wife, standing beside me, did the same.
Without a moment's hesitation, the little boy smiled back — the most open, carefree smile.
The express lingered at the platform a while, then began its journey toward Kintetsu Nara Station.
My wife and I waved goodbye with a smile. And he waved back, smiling.
It was a small, quiet moment — one you only find on a Nara morning — and it left our hearts warm.
We tend to imagine "ichi-go ichi-e" — the Japanese spirit of "one meeting, one lifetime" — as something grand: a fated encounter, a life-changing moment.
But in truth, it is woven into the fabric of every ordinary day, filling each passing instant.
Today — and this very moment — will never come again.
Let us live with the spirit of "Every day is ichi-go ichi-e" — fully, and without holding back.
A smile and a wave through a train window — just a few seconds. And yet, it was a meeting that will never happen again in this lifetime.