Almost One Year Anniversary #2296 Saturday, April 3, 2022

Almost One Year Anniversary Saturday, April 3, 2022

I went to visit the grave of Mr. Akira Suwabe, a legend in the Japanese water polo world and a gambling friend.

His grave is in Mine Park, but I knew he would say, "You didn't come by car, did you?"

so I went by mamachari.

………

Mr. Akira Suwabe

A player and later coach of the Maebashi Commercial High School water polo team. In the Gunma Prefecture water polo world (which means almost the Japanese water polo world), he was the second most important person after the late Mr. Tadashi Tajima.

He passed away on February 12, 2021, at the age of 64.

I was truly and truly lucky to never have the opportunity to receive water polo instruction from Mr. Suwabe. In his later years, our only acquaintance was medicine and gambling.

(Click here for the casino travelogue)

Many of Suwabe Sensei's students are representative water polo players of Japan. I am very honored and grateful that these representative-class players treated me on the same level through Suwabe Sensei.

I cannot afford to miss my annual greetings because Suwabe Sensei has given me such strong relationships as a legacy.

………

Mine Park (Mine Cemetery) is 15km one way from Maebashi city, with an elevation difference of 300m.

I didn't want to bother changing clothes, so I used a mamachari instead of a road bike. A regular tracksuit and a regular T-shirt. This is easy.

The grave number is "333". I am a gambler.

It seems that someone had already come to the grave, and there was a can of cola, which he loved. He was always drinking cola, so it's no wonder he got diabetes.

I will visit next during Obon.

Please wait until then.

………

Behind Mine Cemetery is "Poem Hill."

It is a 2km practice course with a 6% slope.

The prefectural office is hazy in the distance.

When I devoted my life to the Akagi Hill Climb, I used to climb it every day, but times have changed.