For a long time, since when I saw a movie called “Inamura Jane” in my younger days, I have been longing for a life with surfing. Presumably, I was one of those in my generation who were fascinated by this film as it managed to capture the mood of the times. But in my case, things are a bit different since my interest was not focused on surfing itself. From the beginning to the end, the movie featured its lead character and his friends who sit around all day long, waiting for a legendary big wave to come. So much so that the movie was filled with lazy and languid ambience, which made the whole story appear somewhat meaningless. As rubbish as it might seem, the atmosphere and lifestyles they shared in the movie shined brilliantly in the eyes of a young college boy. Since that time, I have been gravitating to Kamakura, the place where the movie was set in, and always thinking about finding a place to live in there.

Some 30 years have passed since then. And I moved to Kamakura a couple of years ago. But even after that, my aspiration to find an ideal place in Kamakura has never subsided, leading me to keep checking the local property information. What’s more, I finally started visiting the sea nearby on a regular basis to enjoy surfing. I enter the sea every weekend though I know that I won’t be able to become a full-fledged surfer due to my shoulder injuries.

One day, I encountered a gentleman when I went surfing. He was almost 70 years old. During our conversation, he revealed to me that he was just discharged from the hospital on that very day after having been treated for a severe illness. He went straight to buy a wet suit, pulled out the surfing board he obtained a long time ago, and came to the beach to make a fresh start of his life as a surfer. As it happened, that was the day I launched a new surfing board. We shook hands to celebrate such a memorable coincidence. He told me that the logo mark on his cherished, washed-out surfing board depicts a setting sun seen from the coast.

This encounter brought home to me a valuable lesson: We can start or restart at any time we like.

Kentaro Hayase

CMFG Design Dept.

Senior Director