Ichigo Ichie

A Principle Lived Through Work

Before visiting Ise, there was one request I had made.

I hoped not only to be shown the places people come to see, but also to hear from someone who lives and works in this land.

To understand a place, it seemed equally important to understand what the people who live there value, and the thoughts they carry into their work.

That request led to an introduction to Ryu, who works as a rickshaw puller in Ise.

That day, Ryu spoke about his work and the way he approaches each guest he meets.

Running through everything he shared was the same quiet commitment: to value the time spent with the person in front of him.

While preparing this Journal, I wanted to represent what he had told me that day as accurately as possible. So later, I asked him a favor.

“Would you write down what you shared with me that day?”

Ryu kindly agreed and carefully put into words the principles he holds close in his work.

He began with three:

Gratitude.
Beginner’s mind.
Humility.

For Ryu, these three principles form the foundation of his work—things he must never forget if he is to offer the very best hospitality he can.

Among the words he sent, one thought stayed with me in particular:

“Today may be the last time I ever meet this person.”

The time a guest has during a journey is limited.

Among countless people, simply meeting someone and sharing that time together is never something to take for granted.

There may never be another meeting.

And because of that, the person standing before him deserves his full attention.

Ryu does not deny that earning money matters in his work.

But pursuing only immediate profit does not sit comfortably with him.

Whenever he is uncertain about a decision, he returns to one question:

“Is this aligned with my principles?”

Did I offer the guest everything I could?

Did I communicate what I hoped to share?

Did I fulfill my responsibility?

And did I enjoy the time myself?

A guest who has experienced genuine hospitality may one day return.

They may share that experience with someone else, and another encounter may begin.

In time, those connections between people expand—and work continues as a result.

Rather than seeking immediate results, Ryu chooses to approach each encounter with sincerity.

His belief that this matters most, even when it may appear to be the longer road, revealed something unwavering in the way he approaches his work.

And the guest’s happiness is not the only thing he values.

Life comes only once, and he believes that he, too, should enjoy the work he does.

For himself to be happy, and for his guests to be happy.

Perhaps it is only when both are present that work can continue for a long time.

Because an encounter may happen only once, he gives himself fully to the person before him.

One encounter becomes trust.
Trust becomes connection.
And one connection leads quietly to another.

Ichigo ichie is not simply an expression handed down from the past.

It is a principle still being lived today, in someone’s everyday work.